Jordan queen pledges to improve east Jerusalem schools
AFP
AMMAN- Jordan's Queen Rania on Sunday launched an initiative to repair and develop Palestinian schools in Israeli-occupied Arab east Jerusalem.
"We launch Madrasati (my school) Palestine from Jordan today because Jordan has an historical role in preserving Jerusalem’s Arab identity and protecting its holy shrines," she said at the launch of the initiative attended by officials including the Jordanian and Palestinian prime ministers.
Jordan's Queen Rania speaks during a ceremony held in Amman to launch the 'Madrasti, Palestine' (My School, Palestine) fund-raising project. (AFP/Khalil Mazraawi)
The wife of King Abdullah II emphasised the importance of the schools initiative in "keeping the Palestinian and Arab identity of Jerusalem."
"We will repair the infrastructure of the schools... try to enlarge them, supply teachers with the necessary training and raise the number of graduates so that they can maintain their unshakable identity and dignity in the face of occupation," the queen said, without mentioning the cost of the project.
More than 50 percent of Palestinian boys who start school never finish, she added, noting that students in Jerusalem were often obliged to study in small and overcrowded schools.
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