Jerusalem Christian schools suspend classes for second time this year
Christian schools in Jerusalem suspended classes for the second time this year after Israeli authorities failed to renew entry permits for about 70 teachers and staff. The suspension began on Tuesday and will continue until the permits are reissued, following a similar decision in January. The schools said the lack of staff affects classroom instruction, administration, health, cleaning and security, making it impossible to guarantee a safe start to the academic year. They consulted authorities, parents and other Jerusalem schools before deciding, warning that repeated closures undermine educational stability and the schools’ mission. They hope the crisis resolves quickly so students and staff can return and the academic year can proceed normally.
29 days ago
Christian schools in Jerusalem suspended classes on September 1, 2026, after Israeli authorities failed to renew entry permits for more than 70 teachers and staff members. The suspension is the second of the year and will continue until the required permits are reissued or renewed. 1 3
The affected schools suspended attendance as the 2026–2027 academic year was beginning. Their leadership said the permit decisions were made suddenly and without prior notice, disrupting preparations involving school administrators, parents, and education authorities. 1 3
The schools said they reached the decision after consultations with relevant authorities, parent representatives, and other Jerusalem schools. Classes are to remain suspended until teachers and staff can legally reach the schools. 1 3
The schools said the absence of dozens of employees affects more than classroom teaching. Administrative functions, health services, cleaning, security, and other safety procedures are also affected, making it impossible to guarantee a safe and stable start for students. 1 3
School representatives said the disruption affects students, families, employees, and the broader Jerusalem community. They warned that repeated permit problems undermine the stability of the institutions and their ability to carry out their educational mission. 1 3
The schools also suspended classes in January because of a similar failure to secure entry permits for teachers and staff. The September action therefore represents the second interruption of the school year linked to the permit issue. 1 3
Following Israel’s 1967 annexation of East Jerusalem, Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank must obtain entry and work permits to reach jobs in Jerusalem. The OSV report said Israeli legislation and administrative decisions in 2026 have made it more difficult for Palestinian teachers to work in the city. 3
In January, the Israeli Knesset passed legislation barring educators with degrees from universities within the Palestinian Authority from teaching in Israeli schools. The Times of Israel description cited in the report said the law was intended to prevent what Israeli authorities regard as the Palestinian Authority’s harmful influence and to protect Israel’s educational values. 3
The Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, WAFA, criticized the legislation as politically and ideologically generalized, arguing that it targets Palestinian academics rather than assessing their individual qualifications. 3
In March, Israel’s Ministry of Education announced that it would not grant work permits for the 2026–2027 academic year to 171 Palestinian teachers living in the West Bank. 3
The General Secretariat for Christian Educational Institutions in Jerusalem said Christian schools have been part of the city’s cultural and social fabric for centuries. The schools described their mission as providing high-quality education while forming students in knowledge, values, belonging, and responsibility. 1 3
Aid to the Church in Need said many of Jerusalem’s Christian schools were founded in the late 19th century, served both Christian and Muslim students, and were established to promote Christian education and preserve the Christian presence in the city. 3
The schools reaffirmed their commitment to students’ right to education and expressed hope that the permits would be restored quickly, allowing classes to resume and the institutions to continue their educational and humanitarian work. 1 3*
How does the Catholic Church view state‑imposed educational closures?
The Catholic Church does not regard every state-imposed school closure as unjust. Its judgment depends on the closure’s purpose, necessity, duration, proportionality, and effect on parents’ and children’s rights.
The State may regulate education for the sake of public health, public order, and morality. Catholic teaching recognizes that public authorities may intervene in schools when the common good genuinely requires it.
Therefore, a temporary closure during a serious epidemic, natural disaster, war, or comparable emergency can be morally legitimate if it is:
The Church’s experience during COVID-19 emphasized both the importance of safety and the serious harm caused by prolonged educational interruption. The Pontifical Academy for Life described school as a healthy environment essential to children’s intellectual, relational, and personal development and renewed the appeal: “Let the children go to school.”
Education is not simply a service controlled by the State. The family has the primary responsibility for educating children, while the State’s role is subsidiary—that is, to support, protect, and supplement the family rather than replace it.
Parents have the fundamental right to choose an education consistent with their convictions, including public, private, and religious education. The Church likewise possesses an inalienable right to establish and maintain schools.
Consequently, a government may not use an emergency or administrative policy as a pretext to:
Such conduct would exceed the State’s authority. Catholic teaching explicitly condemns an educational monopoly that forces families to use government schools contrary to conscience or legitimate preference.
A closure may become morally objectionable when it is arbitrary, indefinite, discriminatory, or disproportionate. Particular concern arises if authorities close Catholic or private schools while permitting comparable institutions to operate, or if closures are maintained despite the availability of safer alternatives.
The Church also stresses that private and Catholic schools render a public service. Public authorities should not merely tolerate them but should respect their identity and, where applicable, provide fair financial support.
The State must therefore balance several goods:
This last point is especially important because educational closures often harm disadvantaged children most severely. The Church identifies inadequate education as a serious form of human impoverishment and urges that Catholic education remain available to the poor and marginalized.
Catholics should neither assume that every closure is tyrannical nor accept every government decree uncritically. They should evaluate whether the policy is reasonably ordered to the common good and whether it respects fundamental rights.
Where a closure is truly necessary, families and Catholic institutions should cooperate responsibly while preserving religious formation at home, in parishes, and through appropriate educational means. Where a policy unjustly suppresses parental freedom or Catholic education, parents and Church authorities may legitimately advocate, appeal, and seek legal or political remedies.
In summary: the Church can accept temporary, proportionate closures genuinely required by public health or another grave common-good necessity. It rejects closures used to undermine the family’s primary educational role, suppress Catholic schools, or establish state control over education.