Scholarships Update: Summer 2010

Nearly 87,000 Palestinian students sat for the Tawjihi, the high school exams equivalent to the SAT in the US, in the occupied West Bank and Gaza this year. On July 22, the much-anticipated results of the exams were released and they were phenomenal. In Gaza, the percentage of students who passed these difficult exams was almost record breaking. The Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) congratulates all of the students who sat for the Tawjihi this year and wishes them success in their futures. This year, MECA will continue to provide university scholarships to aspiring teachers, doctors, social workers, dentists, and much more.

Mazin Qumsiyeh writes from the occupied West Bank on the day Tawjihi results are announced:

"It is a noisy day of celebration for thousands of people who worked very hard and achieved good results. There was no divisions here, the unified examinations were given in Gaza and the West Bank with cooperation of the ministry of education employees in both places and without political considerations.  Considering the slaughter of Gaza last year, the results from Gaza were remarkable (and equivalent to the West Bank). The highest six students (4 females, 2 males) in the science section got the score of 99.5% and they represent refugees, villagers, and city dwellers.  In the humanities section, the top ten come from Tulkarem, Rafah, Nablus, Khan Younis, Qabatiya, and Jenin. My own nephew got 93.6% even though his father died in the middle of these exam (I had shared the story of Hazem with you earlier). This remarkable result by our young people shows the possibilities of the people of Palestine.  Of course, the colonial apartheid system limits the options open to our high school graduates but ultimately nothing can stand in the way of determined individuals."