About 600 male and female students from the East al-Sawahra town in Jerusalem face daily difficulties reaching their schools in Jabal al-Mukaber. Restrictions and inspection procedures at the Israeli military al-Shayyah checkpoint cause most of them to miss morning assembly and their first lessons. Student Saleh al-Sarkhi and his classmates begin their journey at 6 a.m. to ensure they arrive on time.
A 90-minute school journey
The journey takes about 90 minutes, although the distance could normally be covered in 10 minutes. al-Sarkhi said students were crowded inside the inspection room and subjected to aggressive treatment and threats of beatings. He added that those denied passage had to head to the congested Sheikh Saad checkpoint, sometimes reaching school after 8:30 a.m.
Students are required to pass through on the basis of pre-prepared name lists and must carry identity cards. Anyone whose name does not appear on the lists or who lacks the required card is barred from crossing. Student Hala Eid said the hardship also extends to the return journey, explaining that school buses previously reached the students’ residential areas and transported them directly before being barred from entering.
Walking and waiting after the checkpoint closes
She added that students now walk long distances and may have to wait when the checkpoint closes before continuing on foot. Parent Bassam al-Sarkhi said the movement of students is affected by procedures imposed by Israeli soldiers, including obstructing passage, searching bags and detaining children. He said the arrangements that had allowed buses to pick up students outside their homes had been cancelled.
Sarour added that Israeli authorities halted the operation of buses designated to transport students about three years ago. He also said the wall built in 2002 geographically separated al-Sawahra from Jabal al-Mukaber, forcing anyone without a permit or whose name does not appear on the checkpoint lists to take a detour through al-Eizariya and al-Za'im that takes more than 90 minutes.
