Mohammed Alruzzi is a Lecturer in Childhood Studies at the University of Bristol, the UK. He earned his PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Before that, he completed his Master’s degree in Childhood Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Alruzzi has worked with many international non-governmental organisations and UN agencies, including Mercy Corps, Terre des Hommes, the Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision and UNICEF. Through his work experience, Mohammed has developed extensive multidisciplinary expertise in children issues. His research interests include child labour, child detention and education policy.
From this author
As the Israeli regime continues its genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza, many have begun to weigh in on the future of Hamas and of Palestinian leadership more broadly once the bombardment ends. One of the dominant proposals circulating amongst analysts, Palestinian and otherwise, is the revival of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), with Hamas as a member party.
The vacancy of the president’s office or holding of legislative elections are not likely to lead to fundamental changes in the education sector, so long as the status quo persists. This is because the persistence of the status quo is contingent on the interests of PA forces, international actors, and the Israeli regime.
In the case of an uprising, the focus of the education sector may shift to popular education, equipping revolutionaries with the political and strategic skills and tools needed to confront settler-colonial oppressors — skills and tools that align with a larger vision for liberation.
The revival of the PLO’s educational institutions represents an opportunity to improve the quality of Palestinians’ education, wherever they may be, by allowing them to create new educational departments and programs that reflect their specific political and social realities.
Should the Israeli regime dissolve the PA, the latter’s responsibilities would become those of the Israeli military governor. In other words, the education of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, would be regulated by the Israeli regime.
The education sector is expected to continue to be negatively impacted by the surrounding political and economic conditions, making it unlikely that the quality of the sector will improve, should the status quo persist.
