Administration of the Education Systemin Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 639. Chapter XVI: Social Services : Section 2: Description of Education Systems

CHAPTER XVI.

become literate will be doubled. Accordingly the period of attendance in Government schools has been reduced by rules to The minimum except for children of super-average ability. For The remainder the average length of schooling is four to six years and the percentages of Arab children who receive a sufficient minimum of education have been estimated to be roughly as follows :

~ Girls

In towns In villages

85% GS%

60% 7.5%

Educational administration.

43. The Government Department of Education, of which the Headquarters is at Jerusalem, is controlled by a Director, with a Deputy Director, both British. Associated with them at the Headquarters Office are a few specialist British officers, a Palestinian Inspectorate, and a central clerical and administrative staff. The Palestinian Inspectorate is divided into an Arab and a Jewish section, for the general control and supervision of Arab and Jewish schools, respectively, while Arab District Inspectors in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Nablus and Haifa, each with an office and local store of books and school materials, are responsible for Government schools within their own Districts.

The Department's control of the Arab public system is in general direct but a few schools established by Municipalities are controlled by directives to the Local Authorities concerned. The Jewish public system is controlled through the Va'ad Leumi (see paragraph 40).

44. In addition to Government control, direct or indirect, of education in general, a Board of Higher Studies has been instituted. This body, consisting of about forty official and non-official members, representative of all branches of secondary and higher education and of the various communities, was formed in 1923, with a view to promoting education of a University standard. It conducts three public examinations, Matriculation, Intermediate and Final, leading to the Palestine Diploma which is of ordinary B.A. standard. The Matriculation examination, which forms the general secondary school-leaving examination of Palestine, is conducted in English, Arabic and Hebrew. A certificate, of higher or lower standard, is awarded to successful candidates. The higher alone admits to a University. The other two examinations are at present conducted in English or Arabic, and are open to candidates who have already passed an examination of Matriculation (higher) standard, and who have attended higher courses at a recognised institution.

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