Implementing the first Palestinian English language curriculum : a need for teacher empowerment

Abstract

The educational system in Palestine is totally unique. The Palestinians assumed control of their educational system only in 1994, following hundreds of years of outside rule. This educational system ‘emerged against a backdrop of chronic crisis’ (Nicolai 2007, p.20). A new Palestinian curriculum has been developed and introduced progressively since 2000. For the first time English language became a core subject starting from the first grade (age 6 years) in an educational system which traditionally introduced English as a curriculum subject only in grade five (age 11 years). This article describes the current situation of English Language Teaching in Palestinian schools. It consists of three distinct but interconnected parts. The first part introduces the Palestinian English Curriculum with a focus on English for Palestine series. The second part discusses teachers’ preparedness to teach English and overviews English teachers development programs. The third part describes educational initiatives taken by Qattan Centre for Educational Research and Development (QCERD) in Ramallah to empower teachers to implement the new curriculum in more fun and effective ways. Finally some recommendations for future research are discussed.