Act is looking into ways to sustain Mar Mitri School

On 05/11/2024, ACT for Mediation and Arbitration held a meeting in the presence of an elite group of Palestinian academics and experts in person at its headquarters in Dahiet al- Bareed in Jerusalem, as well as the participation of many via Zoom, to discuss the latest developments regarding the crisis that the ancient Saint Mitri School is going through. Note that the Patriarchate issued a decision to close the school last week and then retracted it after popular pressure from Jerusalemites and after the formation of a committee that recommended reopening the school in addition to other important recommendations in the administrative, financial, and educational fields.

The meeting began with an opening speech by the Chairman of the Organization’s Board of Directors, mr. Samer Nusseibeh, in which he welcomed the attendees, followed by Mr. Hazem Qawasmi, who facilitated and moderated the session in which the main speaker was Dr. Odeh Qawas, CEO of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchal Schools. This was then followed by a discussion in which the participants affirmed the recommendations of the committee that were made. Its formation and the importance of not closing the school and the necessity of continuing to open and support it in a sustainable manner, especially since it is located within the Old City and that the people of Jerusalem suffer from a shortage of schools and a shortage in the number of classes and that the school teaches the Palestinian curriculum and has a competent and strong staff academically. A number of attendees volunteered to help with any solution that would help the school to survive and develop.