Two Schools in Nablus

Filmmakers: Tom Evans and George Azar

In a series of programmes, Witness looks at the struggle to get an education under occupation, following the fates of two schools in Nablus.

Filmmaker Tom Evans spent several months inside two schools in Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, at the close of 2007.

Almost a full academic year on, as the exacting and crucial exam season approaches, he returned to the same schools and followed up on the stories of those he met a year earlier.

How have the students balanced the demands of academia and occupation? How will they cope with the stress of the final exams which could determine their future?

The Two Schools in Nablus series offers a rare glimpse into the daily lives of those living under occupation.

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LESSONS ON THE FRONTLINE

Palestinians have always seen their children’s education as the key to a better future.

Even though six out of 10 families live in poverty, almost 90 percent of children go to university. But international sanctions have meant teachers going for months without pay and schools face overcrowding.

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LEARNING UNDER SIEGE

Student Osaid takes the exams he missed while in prison, the teachers await pay day and the school is invaded by a gang of new students. It is not easy to keep up with your daily schoolwork when your classroom is at the frontline.

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LEARNING TO DIE

With the situation spiralling out of control, the children are finding it impossible to focus on their studies. Chaos descends on Nablus as teachers and students get caught in the middle of a viscious gunfight – with tragic consequences.

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TWO SCHOOLS IN NABLUS: THE RETURN

Some call them the lost generation: the children of the second intifada that began in 2000. We follow two head teachers as they teach, inspire pupils and survive the challenges of life in Nablus.

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TWO SCHOOLS IN NABLUS: THE JOURNEYS

As the students wait anxiously for the exam results that will shape their lives, two of the teachers have their own anxieties – this time because of the travel restrictions imposed by Israel. We follow the emotional journeys of some of the students and teachers in Nablus.

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TWO SCHOOLS IN NABLUS: THE GOAL

The students are approaching their final school-leaving exams which will determine if they have a future in university or not. They will have to choose their goal – to build a new life away from the constraints of occupation, or stay and help rebuild the country of their birth.