Palestine, February, 2015 – Dr Refa’ Ramahi is Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the Faculty of Education at Birzeit University in Palestine and one of the beneficiaries of the ‘Quality Systems for Quality Teachers’ Project. The implementation of this project in Jordan changed the lives of 23 PhD students. Refa’ was one of them. She became a strong advocate of women’s empowerment to break down social, cultural and economic barriers.
Quality Systems for Quality Teachers (QSQT)
- The programme was designed by UNESCO and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Palestine and was funded by the EU.
- The programme aims to improve the management and the institutional capacity of teacher education, as well as improving the status and motivation of teachers. Finally it aims to enhance relevance and coherence of teacher training and professional develop
- Among the main achievements of the programme is its contribution to the development of a Commission for Developing the Teaching Profession.
“Because the future is ours, I am ready for any challenge I might face,” were Refa’ Ramahi’s thoughts when she was applying for her PhD position. “I heard about the UNESCO scholarship while I was working as an instructor at Birzeit University in Palestine. At first I doubted whether I should apply for the scholarship since I was a mother of three young kids, and I was pregnant of my fourth child. Moreover, it was difficult for my husband to join us to go live in Jordan, where the PhD was offered.”
“Yet all these obstacles increased my will, and I thought that nothing could stop me from reaching my dream. I decided to enroll in the PhD Program at the University of Jordan. It was an excellent experience. I learned how to overcome the difficulties I had to face and how to take responsibilities only relying on myself.”
Refa’ completed her PhD programme in 2,5 years. After obtaining her PhD, many things changed in her life. “I got promoted from instructor to Assistant Professor. My salary also increased, so it was easy for me and my husband to buy an apartment in Ramallah City. On a professional level I am doing really well. I participated in 10 conferences so far and published 6 academic articles. This year I participated as a volunteer in 4 committees in my university. Finally, I am competing for the outstanding teacher award in my university. Thanks to UNESCO and the EU for changing my life and for helping us to make a good future.”
Source: https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2015/02/unesco-training-teachers-improve-education-palestine/