Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Role of Higher Education in the Context of an Independent Palestinian State

The Objectives of Palestinian Higher Education


 



Conference on:
The Role of Higher Education in the Context of an Independent Palestinian State
7-9 Nov.1996


A. The General Objective and Defining Priorities

Palestinian higher education must be committed to a wide variety of goals which seek to increase the student's level of knowledge in the arts, sciences" literature, social studies, etc. and allow them to develop and grow. These goals will also allow for the student to think and be inquisitive at a high level, while at the' same time encouraging independent thought and creativity. The student will thus learn how to be productive, while benefiting from all the educational sources he/she encounters. The goals of higher education will stress the importance of Arab and Islamic civilization and strive to instil its value system. Respecting democracy, objectivity, and others' opinions will be an aim of higher education as well. The overall desired result of these goals is to meet the educational needs of Palestinian society, while taking into account its unique culture, history, social values, and civilization.

On the practical level, however, our society presently lacks the necessary studies which could determine and define what the needs of our society are to sufficiently grow and develop. Such studies would enable institutes of higher education to successfully address these needs by developing relevant educational programs, i.e. general and specialized curricula and courses of study. Those who have made a somewhat serious attempt to define these needs do not disagree about certain pressing priorities that need to be addressed. It is widely recognized that there is a lack of competent and capable individuals in technology, media, education, medicine, and law, administration, etc. Accordingly, there is a general agreement that higher education must contribute to the achievement of Palestinian cultural and national identity and this constitutes an important priority.

B. The Specific Objective

In theory and on a practical basis, we believe that the top priorities of higher education are those that help, culturally, scientifically, and practically in realizing national integration and development. Institutes of higher education fully realize the importance of this goal because in the immediate future, it will be their duty to deal with all the negative effects of the past, stemming from British and Israeli expansionist colonialism. The years of foreign domination seriously damaged the fabric of Palestinian society, leading to the expulsion of a large number of the population, and the fragmentation of an entire nation. These educational institutions must now correctly harness the energy and skills of the Palestinian people to pave the way for progress. In our view, these institutes of higher education have an important role to play in promoting national integration and development, the task which will reunite a fragmented people – from the Palestinians occupied in 1948, to the citizens of the West Bank and Gaza, and I those Palestinians living in the Diaspora. A united and integrated Palestine will be able to grow economically and technologically. Moreover, these educational institutes will also have to find the most suitable way to strengthen and support the process of integration with the entire Arab world, since, the higher education curricula will be sensitive to the special relationship of Palestine with Arab society as a whole.

A specific section of the education curriculum needs to be set aside specifically in accordance with this goal of integration, so as to let this concept develop (we have to distinguish between the concepts of integration and unity). It can be expressed through different educational and cultural media shaped by the surrounding environment, but it mainly helps crystallize an integrative force.

Integration also covers societal integration, the phenomenon which helps close the gap which separates Christian and Muslim, allows men and women to be treated as equals, reconciles town and country folks, secularizes, and lets close-minded tribalism and family loyalty become a non-issue. Societal integration creates a society harmoniously functioning in a practical 'manner at all levels.

If the national system of higher education accepts the principle of stressing national integration as the basis for the revival of Palestinian society, then implementation of this concept demands that two important concerns be taken into consideration:

1. The Palestinian curriculum, on all levels, should comply with this goal without reverting to authoritarian tactics or infringing on academic freedoms, so as not to become a sort of brainwashing tool.           

2. F or the national system of higher education to comply with this goal and help achieve it, it should organize and distribute institutes of higher education in a logical manner geographically, economically, and with respect to social concerns. The fulfillment of this goal also demands shaping a policy which would positively affect its implementation. Palestinian educational institutes outside of Palestine would also have to comply with this policy. In conclusion, we can safely summaries the objective of this type of education by the motto "Education for National Integration and Development", a formula which meets all educational goals in all stages of learning.

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