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Viewing cable 09JERUSALEM312, Ministry of Education Agrees to Student Demands, Avoiding

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09JERUSALEM312 2009-02-20 15:39 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Jerusalem 
VZCZCXRO8148
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0312 0511539
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201539Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4160
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
 
UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000312 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, and NEA/PPD 
NSC FOR SHAPIRO/PASCUAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PINS SCUL KPAL KWBG KPAO
SUBJECT: Ministry of Education Agrees to Student Demands, Avoiding 
General Strike 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Responding to an Education Ministry proposal to 
revamp the student loan mechanism, the Palestinian Student Councils' 
Union called for a general student strike at all Palestinian 
universities in the West Bank for February 22 and 23.  The strikes 
were averted when PA Minister of Education Lamis al-Alami met with 
the Union on February 19 and agreed to their demands to keep the 
mechanism as is. End Summary. 
 
2. (U) Under the existing structure, enrolled students can borrow 
from the PA at the beginning of each semester without a guarantor or 
co-signee.  A guarantor is only required upon the student's 
graduation, when a clear schedule for loan repayment is also set. 
However, for the upcoming spring semester, the Ministry had proposed 
to require a guarantor for loans while a student is still enrolled 
in university. 
 
3. (SBU) The Student Councils' Union, the unaffiliated umbrella 
organization for all Palestinian university student councils, 
rejected the proposed change immediately and complained that it 
would place an undue burden on students, many of whom do not have 
family members of sufficient means to act as guarantors.  The Union 
also urged students not to register for the spring semester. 
Universities immediately felt the impact, with only a third of all 
students at Hebron University registering prior to February 19, 
according to Vice President for Academic Affairs of Hebron 
University, Dr. Ahmed Atawneh. 
 
4. (SBU) Al-Alami met with union leaders and deans of student 
affairs from various West Bank universities on February 19 and 
agreed not to change the mechanism for student loans.  She also 
agreed to help with loan repayments for the neediest students, 
approximately 20 per cent of borrowers. 
 
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The speed with which the Minister acceded to the 
Union's demands is testament to the power of the student movement 
and to the relative weakness of the Education Minister.  End 
Comment. 
WALLES