Wadi Ara (2) - 1st Arab College (Tarikat Al-Qasemi)

Second itinerary was the Israeli’s largest Arab College, likely maybe one day to be the 1st Israeli Asrab University.
The interviewed people were Mr. Wasim Younis, from the PR office and also Mr. Ali Jabareen, a PhD. Professor.
This 1st Arab College (Tarikat Al-Qasemi) is located in Baqa Al Gerbya. It was established in 1989.
- main studies at the beginning were Islamic studies, and step by step, the college evolved in other studies like science, literature or foreign languages.
- The educational programs (the modern education programs) are the main focus on, especially for the Arabic girls. They come here, being more free and able to study and entertain themselves after that.
- Here the teachers are also either Arabs, Jewish or Christians
- The relations between men and women are also well studied here ( as far as it is known the status of women in Middle East is not so good)
- In this college the vast majority of students are women (over 95%)
- The college provides also some programs for the illiterate women
- This tends to be like a 2nd stage Career after house life
- The qualifications and the methodologies of this College want to give the possibility for the students to become teachers.

There is a big difference between the general Universities which usually are based on research and theory, while over here; the main focus is on practice and on technical work.
The dream of this College is to turn into a University.
This is the only one where only Arabic students study here. Besides this, there are also in the North and in Haifa universities with a consistent number of arab students.
Al-Qasemi college language of instruction is Arabic. Of course there was an issue “ Did the students forget their national language – Hebrew?” The answer was that “no, they donbt forget it, because they study it as a 2nd language and also so other facilities in university might be dealt in Hebrew.
The College grant is an B.E.D.
The vision of the Principlal and of this institution is that through “dissimilation” can be better conserved the main traditions.

Al Qasemi has 1600 students and 100 teachers., and also over 12 jewish profesors.