The Greek Catholic Patriarchate School (Peter Nettekoven) is one of the Greek Catholic Melkite Patriarchate schools. It is located in Beit Sahour the Biblical site of the shepherds, a small town near Bethlehem. The estimate number of it’s population is 12,000 about 80% of them are Christians. The majority of Beit-Sahour citizens are handcrafts of mother of pearl, olive woodcarvings and other local professions.

The Greek Catholic Patriarchate School (Peter Nettekoven) was called after his Excellency the late German Bishop Peter Nettekoven who died here in the Holy Land in 1975. He was the benefactor of the school and worked hard to develop it. The School was established in 1966 by the late Bishop Gabrael Abu Sa’da and his successor Bishop Elaryon Kabboushy and since the year 1975 his beatitude Patriarch of the Melkites Patriarchate in Jerusalem. The school began to grow and expand until it had it’s first Tawjihi commencement in 1978.
 
It is a co-educational school that has approximately 700 students from kindergarten to Tawjihi (12th Grade). 90 % percent of the students are Christians. We teach two foreign languages namely English and German. We also teach music and the school’s choir usually participates in different religious occasions.
 
The school consists of three buildings the old building which includes classrooms from 5th to 12th grades.Besides, a well equipped scientific laboratory where students make scientific experiments. To make it possible for our students to learn by doing which is considered an important part of effective learning; it also includes a library which contains different books and encyclopedia in English and German. A house-keeping room with supplies to educate our female students between the ages of 13 to 18 on home economics. A large gymnasium with different apparatus for physical exercises is also available.
 
In the year 1990, his Beatitude Patriarch Gregorious III Lahham built the new part ok the school administration, secretarial offices, primary grade classrooms and a large prc-school and kindergarten section where we receive children from the age of three. The section can take in a number of 200 students with well qualified teaching staff. Moreover, the school has three playgrounds with a parking lot for the schools staff. A video hall where the students watch different cultural and religious films.

The school’s vision is to develop the educational system in order satisfy the needs of the students, since the student is the core of the teaching process, Our educational process has special aims and on top of is the love of god and our homeland,besides, raising our children on good manners, education, teaching and helping them obtain skills, strategies and a clear understanding of the world around them. To prepare them to become active Christian participants in society.

In addition our aim is :
 
(1) To respect the individual’s dignity.
(2) To give every student the right to be educated within his/her capabilities.
(3) To help the student grow physically, mentally, and scientifically to become a responsible citizen in the society.
(4) To raise the individual on religious, human and social values.

Within these goals, our school becomes one of the pioneer schools in Bethlehem district regarding its student level and its space, providing the students with a very healthy atmosphere based on the principals of Christianity.