On Sunday, the National Campaign held a press conference to claim reduction of the university fees at the Headquarters of the Press House- Palestine in Gaza City.
The Campaign warned of the collapse of the system o the university education, due to the harsh economic conditions resulted from the ongoing blockade, the deduction and piracy of funds by the Israeli government, besides the issues of rebates and overdue wages chasing the Gaza Strip employees.
Rami Mohsen, spokesman for the National Campaign, pointed out that food insecurity percentage arouse to (68%) and unemployment (53%), which reaches 70% in 2018, according to local and international reports.
Mohsen confirmed that 35% of the students in the Gaza Strip universities had delayed their college studies because they could not pay its fees, in addition to depriving others of their university degrees, because of the adopted policies by university administrations to deprive students from obtaining their university degrees as a pressure on the poor students to pay its fees
He also called on the Palestinian government to neutralize education and educational institutions about the political division and increase its support for higher education budgets, especially in the Gaza Strip, stressing the importance of activating the law of the National Fund for Higher Education approved by the Legislative Council. As it guarantees the right of all poor segments at university education.
He pointed out that higher education should be given more attention through the establishment of government universities capable of absorbing poor students. calling on the Ministry of Higher Education and universities to form a joint higher council for university education, in line with international standards of education, to improve the quality of education and reduce university fees.
The spokesman of the national campaign also concluded his statement by refusing to deprive any student from completing his education due to poverty, calling on the universities to give priority to the supreme interests of the Palestinian people, under these difficult circumstances.
