Education as Development in the Palestinian Territories
Finland has signed an agreement with the Palestinian National Authority to support an education sector programme; ‘Education Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) 2008 - 2012 - Towards Quality Education for Development’.
The EDSP’s goal is to support arrangement of education and to enhance the quality of teaching in the Palestinian Territories. The agreement entered into force in the beginning of March.
Finland is financing the EDSP jointly with Ireland, Norway and Germany. Finland’s share of the financing is EUR 9 million in 2011-2013, and the total assistance of the co-financing partners amounts to approximately USD 100 million.
Education a prerequisite of sustainable development
In spite of difficult conditions, children participate extensively in basic education in the Palestinian territories, and the Palestinian National Authority also invests significant amounts of its own resources in education and training.
"Good education is one of the basic prerequisites of sustainable development, and supporting education is a central part of Finnish development policy," Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen highlights.
In the future, the challenge is to consistently improve the quality of education. This will be achieved through: improving the governance of education, developing the infrastructure, curriculums, instructional technology, teacher training and school health care.
Long-lasting cooperation
The aim of Finnish development cooperation in the Palestinian territories is to support the Middle East peace process.
Finland has collaborated with Palestinians for the past 13 years on developing the education sector in the Palestinian Territories. Between 1997 and 2010 Finland has financed the Palestinian-Finnish Education Programme (PALFEP).
In the early 1990s the Palestinian Territories had inherited a dysfunctional educational system. Some of the key elements of the PALFEP were to develop teaching, curriculums, textbooks, and the use of ICT in education.
Finland has also achieved to efficiently harmonise the operating methods of donors.
The priorities of Finnish assistance for the Palestinian National Authority are education and water sectors, and the development of civilian police.
In addition, there are plans for supporting the land administration sector. Finland supports the Palestinian National Authority also by means of direct budget support mechanisms. In 2010, Finland's total assistance via bi- and multilateral financing channels was approximately EUR 11.3 million.