RAMALLAH, June 21, 2025 (WAFA) – On Saturday, nearly 46,000 Palestinian students in the West Bank and around 2,000 students from Gaza living abroad began their Tawjihi (General Secondary Education Certificate) exams, while students inside Gaza remain deprived of their right to sit for the exams for the second consecutive year due to Israel’s ongoing war on the Strip.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Education, the students are distributed across various academic streams: 28,000 in the literary stream, 14,000 in the scientific stream, and the remainder in other disciplines.
This year's exams are being held under extraordinary conditions, with 512 exam centers across the West Bank and supervised by 16,000 educators and administrators—marking one of the most difficult years due to the Israeli military's continuous aggression, particularly in northern West Bank areas like Jenin and Tulkarm.
In Gaza, only around 2,000 students who managed to leave the besieged Strip will sit for the exams in 37 countries. Official exam halls have been coordinated in seven countries, while others will hold the exams at Palestinian embassies and missions.
Meanwhile, the Ministry announced a postponement of exams in occupied East Jerusalem (inside the Wall) for about 3,600 students until Monday, due to recent instability. Exams in areas outside the Wall will proceed as scheduled.
Severe Challenges in Jenin and Tulkarm
Students in Jenin and Tulkarm face severe challenges due to ongoing Israeli military operations since January. The ministry has carefully selected safer locations for exam centers to ensure the safety of students and staff.
In Tulkarm, around 3,500 students are spread across 34 halls, placed close to their homes for ease of access. Displaced students from Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps have been integrated into nearby schools, with the Ministry providing psychosocial and academic support to help them continue their education under difficult circumstances.
In Jenin, 3,034 students are sitting for the exams across 30 centers, including 43 students who were forcibly displaced from Jenin Refugee Camp due to Israeli attacks.
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