Ramallah-Ma'an- Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Amjad Barham on Wednesday inspected the first "governmental" vocational school in Qalqilya Governorate, in a step aimed at following up on the progress of work in the school and assessing its readiness to receive students and meet the needs of the region, and provide advanced and modern vocational education. The school includes a group of industrial and vocational specializations such as: interior design and decoration, computer maintenance, surveying and construction, mechatronics, car electricity, smart phone applications, and car upholstery and painting. It is a qualitative addition to the educational infrastructure in the governorate. The school has been equipped with modern equipment and advanced facilities, with support and funding from multiple sources at the ministry, including the JFA joint funding basket, to ensure an appropriate educational environment that meets the needs of students and the local labor market. This came during a tou r conducted by the minister, which began with a meeting with Governor Major General Hussam Abu Hamdeh, Secretary of the Qalqilya Region Mahmoud Walweel, and representatives of the governorate's institutions and activities. The meeting addressed the most prominent educational issues in the governorate; The educational needs, the importance of strengthening the educational infrastructure, and the sustainability of school construction were reviewed, as well as ways to support education in schools located behind the annexation and expansion wall. The Minister was accompanied on his tour by the Undersecretary of Education, Dr. Nafeh Assaf, the Assistant Undersecretary for Student Affairs, Sadiq Al-Khudour, the Director General of Vocational Education, Head of the National Center for Measurement, Evaluation and Examinations, Eng. Jihad Dridi, the Director General of Buildings, Eng. Wissam Nakhleh, the Director General of Field Follow-up, Ahmed Nasser, and the Director General of Qalqilya Education, Amin Awad, in a ddition to a number of national and educational figures. During his tour, Barham stressed the importance of this school in strengthening vocational education and developing students' skills in line with the requirements of the era, stressing that inspecting the school and its facilities reflects the Ministry's commitment to providing an integrated educational environment that enables students to acquire the technical and artistic skills they need to succeed in the labor market; Emphasizing the Palestinian government's interest in education, and providing everything that would support the ministry's development plan, and providing the necessary components for it, appreciating the efforts of school principals and teachers who constitute the cornerstone of any desired development, pointing out that there is a development plan in the ministry to improve the reality of education, which will be discussed with the various educational levels, including school principals and teachers. In turn, Abu Hamdeh stressed th at inspecting the school represents an important step in following up on the progress of educational projects, and opens new horizons for our children by evaluating the school's readiness; to provide them with practical skills that qualify them to keep pace with the needs of the local and regional labor market; adding that this school comes at an appropriate time as the governorate is in dire need of enhancing the vocational education process. Barham also met with the principals of Qalqilya schools, and heard from them about their preparations for the start of the new school year next week, and listened to their comments and the issues of their schools, stressing the importance of providing the necessary support to ensure a smooth and fruitful start to the school year. Source: Maan News Agency