Pass Rate 74%.. Education Ministry Announces Results of 2026 General Secondary Examination

SadaNews - Minister of Education and Higher Education Amjad Barham announced today, Friday, the results of the 2026 General Secondary Examination, indicating that the overall pass rate in the West Bank, including Jerusalem and students abroad, reached 74%. However, the announcement of the overall rate for students from the Gaza Strip will be postponed until the completion of the second session for technical reasons. He also announced the postponement of the implementation of the new general secondary system to the academic year 2027/2028.

Barham said during the announcement conference that the secondary examinations were conducted this year concurrently between the two halves of the homeland for the first time in three years, affirming that the ministry continued over the past years to ensure the right of Gaza students to take the exam despite the ongoing aggression.

He explained that more than 106,000 students have taken the General Secondary Examination in the Gaza Strip over the past three years, including 36,900 students this year. He pointed out that the occupation caused the martyrdom of more than 1,100 students who were supposed to take the exam this year.

He added that around 89,000 students took the exam this year in the West Bank, including Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in addition to more than 2,000 students who took the exam in 46 countries around the world.

He noted that the ministry implemented for the first time the examination of religious education and the Quran and its sciences electronically in the West Bank, affirming that this experience will expand during the second session, which will start in mid-next month, to include several subjects.

He pointed out that three students from the General Secondary Examination were martyred in the West Bank this year, while 67 students were prevented from taking the exam due to their presence in occupation prisons, expressing hope for their release as soon as possible.

He confirmed that this year's pass rate was higher than previous years, reflecting the hard work of students and the efforts of teachers, noting that the announcement of the overall rate for Gaza students will be postponed until the end of the second session for technical reasons.

Barham announced that the ministry has completed most of the preparations for the new secondary system; however, it was decided to postpone its implementation to the beginning of the academic year 2027/2028 to complete the technical and administrative readiness in schools.

He pointed out that the ministry continues to expand the application of open educational resources after the successful experience in 64 schools, as well as continuing programs to address educational loss, and preparing to organize the second session examinations in person in special centers inside the Gaza Strip.

He confirmed that students in the Gaza Strip continue to sit for exams for the third consecutive year under exceptional circumstances, from tents and over rubble, despite the human and material losses caused by the aggression.

He added that the ministry will announce the top students in Palestine from the West Bank, including Jerusalem and students abroad, in addition to announcing the top students within the Gaza Strip in appreciation of their resilience and exceptional circumstances.