The project for identifying the needs of youth in Tamra arose from an initiative by municipal system heads in Tamra who were seeking a way to improve services for local youth. Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, with assistance from Ashalim, responded to a request from the Municipality of Tamra to supply the required information for planning these services. Tamra is an Arab town that is fairly representative of many predominantly Muslim Arab towns in Israel today. This study is the second in a series on the needs of Arab youth. It places special emphasis on identifying needs among all of the town’s youth, especially those at high risk, including school dropouts and youth studying in alternative education frameworks established for dropouts.
As part of the study, interviews were conducted with 408 youths in grades 7-12, who comprised a representative sample of the junior high school and high school students in the town; 135 youths who had left the regular school system and were studying in alternative education programs; and 191 youths who had dropped out of the education system altogether (and were interviewed on a one-to-one basis at home).
The perspectives of the youth were studied in a number of areas, including socio-demographic status; school; organized and unorganized leisure activities; work; social activities; violent and marginal behaviors; values; relationships with parents and other adults; and attitudes toward the neighborhood and town, and toward local services. Some of the key findings include:
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Many of the youth have needs in the area of leisure activities. Only one-third of Tamra’s youth participate in some type of organized after-school activity or informal education, and about one-half have nowhere to go where they can comfortably enjoy themselves outside the home.
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There is a great extent of harassment and bullying at school.
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The girls have a more liberal outlook than the boys regarding what they believe should be social norms for girls.
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Schools do not adequately meet all of the youth’s needs. For example, 30% felt there was no one to whom they could turn at school for academic help, and 50% felt there was no one to whom they could turn with a personal problem.
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Most of those who leave regular schools do so because of academic difficulties, adjustment problems or relationships with teachers.
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Students in alternative education programs and dropouts suffer from numerous problems, such as violence, loneliness and the inability to communicate with parents. In addition, these youth are characterized by a relatively low socio-demographic status.
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Most of the dropouts are boys. Most of these boys are employed, usually for more than 40 hours a week. However, most of the girls who have dropped out of school are not employed outside the home.
The study findings have been discussed by teams of professionals from Tamra along with the study team and representatives of Ashalim. These discussions have led to recommendations for further development of the town’s services in order to better meet the needs of youth at the local level. In addition, a municipal plan for the advancement of youth at risk and disengaged youth was prepared, and is now in its initial stages of implementation in various areas.
This study was initiated and funded with the assistance of Ashalim and the Municipality of Tamra, and conducted in cooperation with the Municipality of Tamra.
Citations in the professional and academic literature
Karnieli, M. (2014). The Faith is the Pace: Educational Perspectives of Three Women Principals of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Ultra-Orthodox Schools. Religious Education, 109(3), 284-300.
Karnieli, M., & Zedani, I. (2013). “Protecting Our Girls Through Single-Gender Education”:“Pirate” High School for Girls in the Israeli Town of Sunobola. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 33(2), 208-223.