Unable to pay teachers, PA cuts West Bank students’ classes for fourth year running

For the fourth year running, hundreds of thousands of students attending Palestinian Authority schools across the West Bank are learning only part-time, their educational prospects curtailed by a financial crisis that has no end in sight. Teachers receive only partial salaries, and test scores show declining educational attainment among Palestinian 15-year-olds.

For the fourth year running, hundreds of thousands of students attending Palestinian Authority schools across the West Bank are learning only part-time, their educational prospects curtailed by a financial crisis that has no end in sight. The three-day school week is the result of the PA's inability to pay full salaries to its teachers and other public sector employees. Teachers have been receiving only 50% of their regular pay, or around NIS 2,800 ($911) a month, for the past three years. The PA has long struggled with financial solvency, relying heavily on foreign aid amid widespread allegations of official corruption. These issues have been compounded by Israel increasingly withholding tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinians, which previously accounted for some 60% of the PA's budget. Test scores published in September showed declining levels of educational attainment among Palestinian 15-year-olds in 2025, seemingly offering the first hard evidence of the damage being caused by the reduced schooling. The article quotes a parent, a principal, an ACRI attorney, and a teacher, all expressing concern for the children's future and noting growing disparities between students in public and private schools.