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Gaza Emergency Education Cluster Update<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
24 Feb– 13 Mar 2009<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
No. 2<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
13\/03\/2009<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n
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General Situation<\/u><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\n\n\n\n Background<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n ·\t<\/span><\/span>As 56% of the Gaza population is under the age of 18, the key issue facing the education system in Gaza is how to meet the needs of a large and growing school age population. About 60% of schools are operating on a double shift basis.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\n ·\t<\/span><\/span>The Israeli military operation in Gaza began on the first day of exams for students. As a result, all schools in Gaza were closed; students missed almost one month of classes and could not take their mid-term exams.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\n ·\t<\/span><\/span>An inter-agency assessment of the governmental and private education system found that 10 schools (8 government and 2 private) were severely damaged if not totally destroyed; 156 government and 12 private schools were partially damaged; 8 kindergartens were severely damaged, and 54 were partially damaged;<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\n ·<\/span>\t<\/span><\/span>A preliminary assessment indicated that over 71,000 people have been displaced, children have lost textbooks, notebooks, uniforms, clothes, and other learning materials which need to be replaced<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n \n Situation Update: <\/u><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t ·\t<\/span><\/span>The Palestinian Authority Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza (2009-2010) was released on 2nd March. The plan focuses on two interventions in the education sector – (1) Reconstruct & rehabilitate totally destroyed kindergartens, schools & university buildings, including supplies, safety equipment & furniture; (2) Rehabilitate & restore partially destroyed kindergartens, schools, and university buildings, including supplies, safety equipment & furniture<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t ·\t<\/span><\/span>The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) seeks complementarities between the Gaza Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan (GERRP), the Flash Appeal and the PRDP and does not want new plans to affect existing development plans. Attention is now being given to considering what can be done immediately through regular programs.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t ·\t<\/span><\/span>The MoEHE in Gaza have stressed the need to improve the psychosocial well-being of children within schools, recommending that child-centered teaching and learning practices be incorporated in current teacher training curricula so as to equip teachers to address psychosocial needs of children within the classroom.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t ·\t<\/span><\/span>School repairs including availability of drinking water and sanitation facilities remains a key priority as restrictions on entry into Gaza of construction materials has affected rehabilitation of damaged schools. Except for few cases, minor repairs of windows and doors also remain unaddressed.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t ·\t<\/span><\/span>The Psychosocial Sub group in Gaza was formed on 1st March and approximately 10 organizations participated in the first meeting. SHAREK Youth Forum volunteered to take responsibility for administration, coordination and facilitation of the sub-group.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t ·\t<\/span><\/span>A taskforce on assessment comprised of three local universities, NGOs and INGOs met in Gaza to discuss the feasibility of conducting an assessment of immediate needs in destroyed and partially damaged schools. A Ramallah-based taskforce comprised of members from Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO, the IASC Gender taskforce, Save the Children and MoEHE, and convened by Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµICEF, will support the process.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t ·\t<\/span><\/span>Subsequently, the PSS sub-group and the Assessment task force met in Gaza on 5 March to combine efforts and develop a comprehensive action plan.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n \n Education Cluster Planning and Coordination:<\/u><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n Weekly Gaza Education Cluster meetings have focused on developments in the sub-group meetings and specific strategies to address the psychosocial support needs of children in the classroom before the end of the school year. At its 5 March meeting the Jerusalem\/Ramallah Cluster discussed a specific ToR for its support role vis-à-vis the Gaza including the possible integration of the cluster into the existing –development-oriented- Education Sector Working Group (ESWG)<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n |