Summary
Headmaster of the Friends’ School at Ramallah who gave evidence on education on behalf of the Arab Higher Committee to the Palestine Royal Commission (Report of the Palestine Royal Commission, PDF p.351 / printed p.340).
Details
- Dr. Totah declared it impossible to control the inherent nationalism of Arab schoolboys — “On the second of November, Balfour Day, we schoolmasters always expect a day’s strike” (Report of the Palestine Royal Commission, PDF p.351 / printed p.340).
- He complained the Government schools were not nationalist enough, that the Mandatory Government was manifestly not interested in Arab education as shown by the small sum spent on it compared with ‘Iraq (nearly 10 per cent. of its budget on education in 1933-4), deprecated official control of text books and discouragement of national sentiment and indigenous Arab culture, and, asked whether it was not an Arab Government he wanted, frankly answered “Yes” (PDF p.351 / printed p.340).
- The Report records his position not as a Department of Education servant — he is headmaster of the Friends’ School at Ramallah — but treats the evidence as showing his official fellow teachers feel at heart what he feels (PDF p.351 / printed p.340).
Related pages
Report of the Palestine Royal Commission, Arab Higher Committee, Peel Commission