Upgrading Schools in the West Bank – Inside the Old City of Jerusalem

Riyad Al-Aqsa schools were established in 1976, to provide education and to cover the shortage in classrooms for Jerusalem students and youth. It is a group of three schools located in Jerusalem (inside the Old City), close to Al Aqsa Mosque, with a total of 540 students covering grades 1-12. The main mission of these schools is to provide a high-quality education to disadvantaged students in the Old City of Jerusalem. As with many institutions in Jerusalem, Al Aqsa schools do not receive local authority support. The schools rely on their ability to fundraise and gain support from donors, as well from parents able to pay full tuition fees. With Palestinian families in Jerusalem facing high rates of unemployment, many families would not register their children given the costs of school fees. Al Aqsa Schools are keen to support orphans and marginalized students, providing them with the education needed to enable them to have a positive future. 

Al-Aqsa schools are one of the many organisations and schools that are being supported by Welfare Association in East Jerusalem to ensure: sustainable service provision, quality education, and the well-being of students. Through this project we have upgraded and equipped the very outdated computer lab to help improve the learning environment, thus increasing the quality of education provided to the students.