Palestine Occupied Territory: Scoping Efficient and Effective Investment in High-Quality Education and Training Dismantling Racism

• In Event: Higher Education Credentialing Educational Leaders to Boost Inclusive Education Through Systemic Culturally Responsive Methodologies

Abstract

The professional challenge this paper addresses is the social contract for Palestinians, and access to legal systems, human rights and mitigation for offenses perpetrated against the Palestinians remains unclear. Students’ access to education, and the education professions who promote inclusion, participation and equity are also prevented by military checkpoints that stop/hinder Palestinians access. Infrastructure within and between villages and towns in Palestine are subject to checkpoints and disruptions that violate basic human rights of the Palestinians throughout the occupation. The Charters that accredit Palestinian Universities, the Statutes, Ordinances and Regulations are at risk from the authoritarian right wing Israeli Government (Upton, 2023). Threatening the existence of Palestinian Universities prevents the professions of the quadruple helix from being credentialed. This prevents the training, recruitment and development of professional teachers and succession planning for their leaders to innovate and protect the standards as knowledge producers, and gatekeepers of the profession. This reduces critical engagement with the standards and Frameworks that assure quality and promote advocacy for human rights as a basic human need, and how to build local communities socially, economically, ecologically and Universal Health Coverage.

Five objectives emerge. First, we consider kinds of efficient and effective investment in high quality education that are required to empower Palestinians to address this professional challenge. Second, to consider effective and efficient investment in policy to support the education and training at all educational levels and for all age groups that are a prerequisite for enhancing quality and inclusiveness of the education and training systems, improving the education outcomes, and driving sustainable growth, improving well-being, and building a more inclusive society. Third to investigate how and in what ways investment focuses on teachers and trainers, digital education, education infrastructure and learning environments and equity and inclusion. Fourth, to consider quality education as critical because it is widely acknowledged to be a human right for all, to improve people lives and contribute to sustainable development as stated in UN SDG 4. The theoretical framework allows the examination of education as it plays a fundamental and crucial role in fostering social and political change (Ramahi, 2015) especially in Palestine, which is greatly valued among families. Evidence from the policy analysis and literature review reveals education as a core human right might face constant disruption under the state of occupation, colonialism or regime of apartheid (Arar, 2012; Taysum and Arar, 2018). The final objective interrogates a stipulated grounded context and conditions of the Palestinian’s populations under the regime of occupation using an emergent framework based upon an eclectic approach that combines analysis of critical demographics, humanitarian approach adopted Gramsci’s theory of postcolonialism and hegemony. Based on these elements this presentation provides the warrants for allowing the paper to provide a critical culturally relevant model for Palestine, and for transformative and empowering education implementing the ethical protocol of the toolbox ABCDE, APS Learning with PEACE through doctoral candidates. This builds on previous results where outcomes improved by 27% and provides warrants for claims made with this cutting-edge proposal.

Authors

• Soheil Salha, An-Najah National University

• Khalid Husny Arar, Texas State University

• Alison Sheila Taysum, National University of Ireland - Maynooth