DaysofPal- While millions of Israeli children marked the start of a new school year this week, Gaza’s schools remain destroyed and unusable after nearly two years of bombardment.
According to UNRWA, more than 660,000 children in Gaza have been denied access to schooling for a third consecutive year, trapped in what the agency describes as an unfolding genocide.
Before the war, students like 19-year-old Layan Abdul-Rahman had clear plans for their future.
Fluent in English and preparing for university applications, her ambitions were derailed by relentless attacks that left her grieving the loss of her father and relatives.
Though she is now able to apply online, her sister says the trauma has left her emotionally shattered.
On Monday, 2.58 million Israeli students returned to school, including 180,600 first-graders and 149,000 seniors.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s education system has been almost entirely erased. A UN satellite analysis in April found that 97 percent of schools suffered damage, with over three-quarters directly hit since October 2023.
The Palestinian education ministry reports that 700,000 students have had their schooling interrupted, and more than 70,000 have been barred from taking their final exams.
For many families, the collapse of education is as devastating as the physical destruction.
“All their thoughts now are about how to light a fire, whether we have bread, and if they’ll have food tomorrow,” said Yara Khaled, whose children once excelled at Gaza’s American International School.
“The war on education is a war on the existence of the Palestinian people.” He added.
Despite the devastation, grassroots efforts continue.
Teacher Ahmad Abu Rizik founded Gaza Great Minds in May 2024, establishing a network of makeshift tent schools that now educate about 3,000 children free of charge.
Yet students arrive hungry and traumatized, often more concerned with survival than learning. “As there is a hospital to heal bodies, there must be a school to heal minds,” Abu Rizik said.
The initiative has already lost nine pupils to Israeli attacks, including Mohammed and Dalia, who were killed while playing near their homes. Parents remain fearful of sending their children to school as bombardments intensify in Gaza City.
Scholars warn that the deliberate destruction of Gaza’s educational system will have long-lasting consequences.
“By decimating Gaza’s intellectual infrastructure, Israel is undermining the Strip’s development for years to come, well beyond the current violence,” said Neve Gordon, chair of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies’ Academic Freedom Committee.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=67074
