Palestinian Civic Education Curriculum and its Role in Democratic Upbringing of Basic Stage Students in Palestine: Case Study, Nablus Governorate 1994-2006

This study aims to investigate the role of  Civic Education in the democratic upbringing of students in the basic education classes, in Palestine. Civic Education can  play a major role if its topics are in line with the relevant ongoing comprehensive development plans of which political developments occupies the front seat. Civic Education is seen as a Palestinian societal necessity  towards democratic transition in the unique Palestinian situation...and within the framewoork of an effective educational system that is comprehensive, systematic, and modern, where it takes into consideration  the structure and nature of the Palestinian society and its Arab-Islamic roots in the aspired state of Palestine. Since its launch as an independent course in  Palestinian schools, Civic Education has been suffering from two obstacles vague  philosophical and conceptual framework (which  leads to  lack of harmony between the educator and the teaching material thus reflecting itself on the students),and the dominant social climate (which is  affected by the Israeli occupation and the political situation in Palestine). those are obstacle to the democratic upbringing which might otherwise satisfy the needs of the nation. Democracy in civic education here is offered from the standpoint that it is a quest to catch up with the contemporary needs. The democratic concepts in the curriculum are parallel to those in the West, without identifying the Arab-Islamic thought  in the Palestinian society. this is expected to generate conflict due to the differences between two totally different societies (religion, culture, civilization, history, ideology, regime, and others). This study concludes that Palestinian civic education should take into consideration the fact that democracy is not a ready-made model that can be applied blindly in Palestine. In other words, democratic upbringing in Palestine should adopt only what rhymes with Palestinian values, laws, history and the peculiar circumstances.