Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel make up nearly one-quarter of Israel's schoolchildren. Yet, in virtually every respect, Palestinian Arab children get an education inferior to that of Jewish children. Educated in schools run by the Israeli government but separated from Jewish children, Palestinian Arab citizen's schools are more crowded with fewer teachers per child, and in worse physical condition. Some schools lack libraries, counselors, and recreation facilities. Palestinian Arab school children get fewer enrichment and remedial programs, and special education services, than Jewish children receive. Many communities have no kindergartens for three- and four-year-olds. HRW's new report "Second Class: Discrimination Against Palestinian Arab Children in Israel's Schools" is based on investigations at twenty-six Arab and Jewish schools and on nationwide statistics compiled by the Israeli government. HRW launched the report in Israel and met with local NGO's and government officials including the Director General of the Education Ministry, the Chair of the Knesset Child Committee and a member of the Knesset Education Committee. The report was covered in Ha'aretz, The Jerusalem Post, and on Hebrew and Arabic radio.
Read the report online at https://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2001/09/30/second-class-0
Download the summary and recommendations in Hebrew at https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/israel2/sumrec.hb.pdf.
In Arabic at https://www.hrw.org/arabic/hr-global/list/tsxt/chr12-1.htm
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Write to the Israeli Minister of Education and members of the Knesset urging them to amend education laws to prohibit discrimination in education, to allocate resources equally between Jewish and Arab schoolchildren, and to close the gaps between Jewish and Arab education.
For sample letters and contact information, visit https://www.hrw.org/campaigns/israel/schools/index.htm
