An-Najah Staff

Recent years have seen many attempts by the Ministry of Education in Palestine to improve the school buildings through building schools which come near to the specifications and conditions of the green schools. So this analytical and evaluation study is based on three fundamental aspects. The first aspect is about the governmental schools and their evaluation in several aspects including the numbers, the property, congestion and the development in the design of the school buildings since 1994 up to date, and also in the development of the structural design, the used construction materials and the framework of the building. The second aspect based on in defining the specifications and the conditions of the green schools relaying upon several references which are related to the green buildings in general, and the green school buildings in particular and that through passing several criteria, including site sustainability, water use efficiency, energy use efficiency, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality. The third aspect - is the analytical side - of this study in which it has completed the analyzing and studying of a sample of pilot governmental green school buildings relaying upon the standards and the specifications that we mentioned in detail in the second aspect of this study. The study aim to develop the reality of education through the improvement of the school buildings and their conformity with the standards of the green design with high efficiency and to be a positive pattern of the green buildings in Palestine, and that's through the commitment of all the mandatory requirements, especially that can be applied within little material possibilities or which require only administrative directives such as smoking is forbidden in the school building. The study recommended to direct the school building to the south with the study of each case and its circumstances and not inconsistent with the lighting system. The researcher also recommended that it is necessary to open the way for local community and especially the school students to use at least three facilities outside the working hours. To enhance the water use efficiency, the researcher recommended that it is necessary to provide a well to collect rainwater to reuse for irrigation and cleaning. In regard to energy use efficacy, the modern school buildings are well insulated but not achieve the desired values according to the green buildings guidelines in Palestine. The researcher also recommended to encourage the creative ideas and the application of modern technologies in order to achieve the best design and implementation that does not contradict with the environmental aspects and ensures of reducing the consumption of resources. In the end, the study confirms that the Ministry of Education is working hard to improve the standard of the school buildings to be friendly to the environment and realizing the environmental and healthy conditions, also to provide a better atmosphere of the study for both the students and teachers. Although we see that there are possibilities to develop these attempts which require additional cooperation with the competent authorities of the green buildings as - Palestine Higher Green Building Council -, and with the specialists in Palestinian Universities.