The Israeli siege of the OPTs has negatively affected higher education.
University students lost valuable time because they could not attend their schools or classes.
Additionally, the high unemployment rate affected parents, ability to pay school tuition.
Al Mezan expects the government to encourage education and to make student issues a community responsibility.
Face the Public participated in a meeting attended by members of the Ministry of Education, a University dean, and various student groups.
attended by 71 persons Guest speakers Dr.
Muhammad Shbair, Head of the Islamic University – Gaza.
Dr.
Muhammad Yusif Abu Jarad, General Director of the Ministry of Higher Education.
Summary of issues raised by the public University students face many difficulties owing to the Israeli closure.
Many of them cannot attend their classes, especially those who live in the southern Gaza Strip.
Universities did not adequately respond to the new conditions.
They must develop solutions to students, problems.
The high rate of unemployment affects parents, ability to pay students, fees.
As a result, many students either drop courses or continuously do not pay their fees.
Students of the Gaza College of Education, now al-Aqsa University, do not understand the Ministry's refusal to give their college official university status.
The Ministry refuses to stamp and approve the college graduates certificates because of the problem with the college administration.
The academic plans need to be reviewed and updated by a university standards board because they are â€کweak and relatively old,.
Palestinian students have to travel abroad to join post graduate programs.
The Ministry should urge and help local universities to widen and improve their own programs.
Summary of answers given by the guest speakers Israeli aggression has caused enormous damage to higher education in the OPTs.
Many students were killed and wounded and two academic institutions have been destroyed since the beginning of the uprising.
University students, situation is complicated due to the Israeli closure because most of them are not able to travel.
The Ministry cannot help them, but asked the universities to develop their own solutions.
The Ministry and universities, priority is to keep higher education from deteriorating further.
Several universities took steps to help students who live in far areas.
They provided buildings and instructors, but not enough to solve the problem due to budget problems.
The Ministry does not refuse to change the rank of the College of Education, but will do so only in accordance with its plans.
Both the Ministry and universities have developed long-term loan programs to help students pay fees, and to help universities carry out their mission.