Al-Gawarish School is located in the center of the Gawarish neighborhood, southwest of the city center of Ramla. The people of Gawarish are regarded as conservative Arabs, and the majority of the people work in as employees in farm work and small industry.
In the school there are 720 pupils studying in twenty three classes beginning from the first grade until the eigth grade. There are 60 teachers in the school and a small team of pastoral care workers comprising of the school counsellor, nurse and a psychologist, all working in a part time position.
Al-Gawarish School is the only educational institution in the neighborhood. Of course there are a number of kindergartens but the choice of the inhabitants is limited, almost all sending their children to this school. In fact, the school serves as a prime resource for educational, social and cultural life for the people of Gawarish. Located in the center of the neighborhood, the school has become an activity center for all the people of the neighborhood, both to the pupils in the morning and the parents in the afternoon. Although the physical structure of the building needs extensive repairs, the administration of the school makes most use of the building to serve all the community.
One prime characteristic of the population of Gawarish neighborhood is its low socio-economic level. Besides cases of poverty and polygamy, there are many cases of children born suffering from a variety of disabilities. In recent years, the school has found that there is a continuous rise in the numbers of pupils identified to belong to one of the prime categories of special education, not least to be diagnosed to have mental retardation. In the last year, two new classes for pupils with mental retardation were opened. Of course, there are many other cases of pupils with special needs that are included in the class and receive direct care of professional teachers.
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