Donor funding is now being provided to private and public pre-schools in Palestine in a bid to improve quality of education thus increasing enrolment rates and improving learning outcomes.

In Palestine there are over 1,700 preschool institutions (infant-toddler centres, kindergartens, preschool classes) which are predominantly managed by the private sector. The Palestinian Ministry of Education is responsible for the accreditation of all 0-6 facilities and staff training.

Challenges

• Weak professional skills of preschool staff, that use educational methods focused on discipline and the obligation to learn.
• Low level of children’s participation in preschool education, with very low enrolment rates.
• Antagonism between public institutions and private operators.

Volontari nel Mondo RTM NGO (RTM) is the implementing partner of a 3-year EUR 1.800.000 Partnership Approach to Early Childhood Education Project. 85% of this project's funding comes from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation while the remaining 15% comes from the RTM organization  and its partners.  The project seeks to support the Ministry of Education and the Private Palestinian educational institutions in their efforts to increase the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of the early childhood education services system and fostering public-private partnerships.

The project activities include: 

1. Increasing the professional skills of ministry and university staff as well as the staff of  public and private preschools in the areas of teaching pedagogy, learning environment, lessons planning, family participation as well as vetting and supervision of pre-schools
2. Increasing access and enrolment to early childhood education services for children and families residing in marginalized and low-schooling areas by opening new public preschool classes and the expansion / reorganization of the premises of selected private preschools.
3. Increasing awareness of the new adopted educational services, the new teaching techniques and the importance of pre-school education in order to increase enrollment rate
4. Launching a pilot Centre for the Creative Reuse of waste materials with mixed management (public-private) to supply schools in the Governorate of Bethlehem. This fosters the creation of a “bottom-up” public-private partnership, with cooperation on concrete issues of common interest. The project provided technical assistance, training and exchange visits  to the staff of the pilot center in the collection. management and pick-up services of waste materials from businesses and industries.

Project's beneficiaries and partners

• Ministry of Education and Higher Education
• Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
• Greek – Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem Education (GOP)
• Ibdaa’ Cultural Association, Dheisheh Refugee Camp (IBDAA)
• Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Jerusalem (GCP)

Information Source: RFP for the the final evaluation of the project