Bethany Girls School
Where are they?
What do they do?
Who benefits? |
Bethany
Provide an education to children from the area and enable Christian and Muslim children to learn together.
350 pupils aged between 4 and 15 years old. |
More Information:
Founded: 1937
Beginnings:
The Bethany Girls’ School was founded by two British ladies, Mother Mary and Mother Martha, who had recently converted to Russian Orthodoxy and begun a community of nuns in Bethany. The School was founded to help serve the needs of the local people and ensure girls received a Christian education.
Activities:
- Most of the pupils are girls, with some boys in classes for younger children. Many of the children are day students, from Bethany village itself or the Mount of Olives village nearby.
- The construction of the Israeli Security Barrier around Bethany has made travel difficult, so up to 15 Christian girls board at the School.
- All of the children are from poor Arab families; most are Muslim. Christian students receive Bible teaching.
- The School has been badly affected by the Intifada, which began in 2000. Imposed curfews have meant many school days have been cancelled (which are then added to the end of the academic year).
Click here for a printable factsheet on Bethany Girls School
Click here to download our December 2009 article from The Star in the East magazine (PDF)
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