DaysofPal- The Ministry of Education in Gaza has reported widespread and systematic devastation to the education sector amid the ongoing Israeli genocidal war, leaving the system nearly paralyzed as schools, students, and educational staff have been directly targeted.
Dr. Aed Al-Rubaie, director general of school administration at the ministry, described the situation as a “deliberate attempt to undermine the future of Palestinian society.”
He stressed that education in Gaza has gone beyond its traditional role, becoming a “frontline of resilience” against the policies aimed at depriving future generations of knowledge.
He revealed heavy human losses among students, with more than 20,000 killed and around 19,000 others forced to leave the Gaza Strip.
In addition, over 769 educational staff members, including hundreds of teachers, have been lost. The continued disruption of formal education for a third consecutive year has also deprived more than 600,000 students of regular schooling.
Regarding infrastructure, Al-Rubaie stated that over 80% of school buildings have been either completely or partially destroyed, rendering most of them unusable.
The majority of administrative and educational facilities have also been damaged, including specialized schools for students with disabilities and kindergartens.
Despite the scale of the crisis, the ministry has adopted alternative measures to sustain education, such as establishing hundreds of “field schools” and implementing various learning methods, including in-person instruction at temporary sites and online education. These initiatives have reached hundreds of thousands of students.
However, he warned of a worsening “learning loss” crisis caused by the combined impact of the war and the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the educational gap could persist for many years, especially with reduced school days and significantly fewer class hours.
He also highlighted the deterioration of special education services and the shortage of resources, as thousands of seats and educational tools have been lost, forcing students to study under harsh conditions, often in tents.
In response, the ministry has launched remedial and accelerated learning programs to help recover lost education, alongside expanding digital learning efforts.
Al-Rubaie concluded by saying that Gaza’s education system is facing “the most difficult test in its history,” emphasizing that students’ determination to continue learning despite the hardships sends a clear message of resilience, that education will endure despite all challenges.
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