Building an alternative education for the Palestinian Arab community of the Negev

This case study of Mumtaz, a Palestinian Arab (PA) alternative school in the Negev, aimed to provide a better understanding of the rationale for establishing this alternative school, which was a new phenomenon in PA community in the Negev that had not previously been researched. This study took a qualitative approach, using an instrumental case study. Data was collected through several means, including 15 semi-structured interviews with 7 females and 8 males, among them school founders, administrative staff, and educational staff; observations; and collection of source documents; and was analyzed through thematic analysis. The themes that emerged regarding the rationale for establishing Mumtaz included improving the situation of the PA community in the Negev by providing high quality education with a scientific orientation, emphasizing higher education and integration into the global society, and giving back to and improving the community. Themes related to the educational approaches to achieving these aims included providing students with unique learning opportunities, encouraging student independence, leadership, and empowerment, fostering interpersonal relationships, and challenging traditional social and familial norms. This model of alternative education differed from PA alternative schools in other parts of the country, for which strengthening students’ understanding of Palestinian history and identity was an important theme. This study provided insight into how alternative education in the Negev emerged in a historical and geographic context that differed from other alternative school initiatives in the global context as well as the Israeli context, and how those differences shaped the founding, vision, and character of the school.