A first in Arab society: a physics center for students opened its doors last week in Rahat, the largest Bedouin city in Israel, located in the Negev. This is a tremendous source of pride for the residents and a strong requital to restore the city’s image, which has been tarnished by crime and violence. "The opening of the physics center in Rahat is our response to those who seek to sabotage and terrorize the city," said Talal Al-Qarnawi, the mayor of Rahat. This new physics center aims to encourage young Bedouin talents to pursue scientific studies in order to access high-level positions.
At the inauguration of the center, Talal Al-Qarnawi announced that it aims to help "students from Rahat to achieve excellence."
"The center was established through collaboration with the Tashkil project, a government initiative supporting Arab authorities. The education department of the municipality of Rahat funds the center, while the municipality of Rahat and the Schwartz Reisman Institute manage the center and recruit physics teachers," said Atidal Abu Aeesh, head of the Tashkil project, to Itonnews.
After compiling a list of students from the city, two groups of students were formed. In total, 47 tenth-grade students, the majority of whom are girls, from various high schools in Rahat, will benefit from physics courses starting at the end of October. The classes will be taught by two teachers, alternating between the groups, two days a week.
Before the center was created, students from the Arab community had to travel to nearby cities to have physics classes. They will now have the privilege of studying in their own city.
"This center was established because there is only one physics sector in the high schools of Rahat, due to a shortage of teachers, as is the case throughout the country. One of the main objectives of this center is to increase the percentage of high school graduates and to make the physics sector accessible to all high schools," explains Atidal Abu Aeesh.
Currently, the center is dedicated solely to students from Rahat, but there are plans for a large building that will accommodate all students from the Negev. Physics and science classes will be held there.
"The program we will offer is the same as that found in specialized physics sectors in Israel, leading up to the high school diploma in physics. A significant portion of the classes will take place in the lab with hands-on experiments," asserts Atidal Abu Aeesh.
Starting in the 2025 school year, additional physics class hours will be added several times a week, and new groups of students will be admitted to the center. This is a promising initiative for Bedouin society.
Caroline Haïat
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