Curriculum changes draw scrutiny over Palestinian education

An Al Jazeera opinion article published on 30 September argues that Israeli authorities are influencing Palestinian education across occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. It says curriculum changes have removed or altered references to Palestinian history, sovereignty, national symbols and the occupation.

The article reports that about 45,000 Palestinian children in occupied East Jerusalem are studying a curriculum assembled by Israeli authorities — more than a third of Palestinian students there and nearly twice the previous year’s number. The supplied material does not identify the curriculum or explain how the figure was calculated.

It also says Christian schools began the school year with a strike after some teachers who live in the occupied West Bank were denied permits to enter Jerusalem. The article presents the strike and curriculum changes as part of a wider dispute over who controls education in the occupied territory.

The author cites studies comparing Palestinian textbooks with Israeli-edited versions used in East Jerusalem. One 2025 study of primary-school books reportedly found that some changes replaced “Palestine” with “Israel” and removed passages about occupation. The article also cites research that it says found Palestinian textbooks did not promote hatred or dehumanisation of Israelis.

The piece further draws on studies of Israeli schoolbooks, including research reporting limited Palestinian narratives and ethnocentric framing. These claims and the reported student numbers come from the opinion article and its cited studies; the supplied material offers no independent corroboration. Al Jazeera notes that the views are the author’s own and may not represent the network’s editorial stance.