State of Education in East Jerusalem: 2019 Report

On June 2, 2019, the State Comptroller published a special report on the topic of Jerusalem, which found that profound gaps continue to persist in the scope and quality of educational (and welfare) services provided to the population of East Jerusalem.

Since 2001 – nearly two decades ago – the Supreme Court has likewise consistently found that the Israeli authorities are violating their constitutional obligations in the field of education in light of the acute classroom shortage in East Jerusalem. Despite the court’s findings, and as illustrated in the report along with previous ones, the dearth of classrooms in East Jerusalem is continuing to grow. The construction rate stands at just a few dozen new classrooms per year, which fails to adequately address the ever increasing gap. 

The classroom deficit has now risen to over 3000.
The Municipality’s declared intent to rectify the situation is undermined by the growing deterioration of the state of education in East Jerusalem and the absence of a substantive solution. Israel bears the obligation to ensure immediate infrastructural reforms to the education system in East Jerusalem, which has been in a constant state of decline throughout the 52 years since Israel’s annexation of the eastern part of the city. 

For the full 2019 report on the state of education in East Jerusalem, click read more