Re-Imagining and Strengthening English Language Teaching RISE is a transformative 4-year initiative dedicated to elevating English language teaching and learning in Palestine. It aims at creating a robust and well-aligned English language teaching system that equips Palestinian students with the necessary skills to access work and study opportunities.
After being approached by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to lead on system-level change in English, the British Council designed RISE based on its experience in other countries and its understanding of the Palestinian context. A Memorandum of Understanding formalising the partnership and commitment to the programme was signed at the Education World Forum in 2024. To enable an evidence-based approach, a comprehensive review of the current English language teaching landscape, examining curriculum, assessment systems, and the professional development of teachers and teacher educators was conducted in year 1. This supported with identifying the strengths and areas for improvement of the system.
Drawing upon these findings, RISE will initially implement targeted interventions through a bottom-up approach. These interventions will be carefully tested and evaluated to generate evidence and inform policy changes at higher levels within the education system in the coming years.
The evaluation report is the result of extensive primary and secondary research that took place from September 2024 until April 2025 to evaluate current EFL policy and practice in primary- and secondary-age schools (state and UNRWA) across Palestine. Private EFL provision (e.g. language centres, private classes, tutoring) was not evaluated. While the evaluation included some participation from the Gaza strip, the findings relate predominantly to the West Bank, due to the war in Gaza that began in October 2023 and continued throughout the research period. For more information Download report