Dina Mahmoud (London)
Amid the ongoing clashes and violence in the Gaza Strip for over two months, various aspects of life have been profoundly affected. The educational system, in particular, faces a dire situation following the bombings, raids, and confrontations that have led to substantial losses in both human and material resources.
According to UN data, military operations and combat activities in Gaza since early October have, by mid-this month, damaged at least 352 school buildings. This figure represents more than 70% of the educational infrastructure in the Strip.
Furthermore, many intact schools have been repurposed as shelters and temporary accommodation centres for displaced individuals fleeing the battles. Among these, more than 150 schools are managed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), in addition to approximately 130 others operated by local authorities in Gaza.
The human toll has been severe, with at least 200 teachers killed and over 500 injured in the battles. The surviving teachers have likely joined the list of displaced people, which is approximately 80% of the Gaza Strip’s population. Due to this, they find it impossible to resume work soon, even under optimal conditions.
UNICEF, dedicated to child protection worldwide, reported that before the current clashes, the Gaza Strip was home to approximately 625,000 school-aged children, all of whom have ceased their studies since the fighting began. Jonathan Creek, a spokesperson for this UN agency, told “The Guardian” that the educational system in Gaza is witnessing a “catastrophic situation”.
He stressed the impossibility of reviving this system amid the severe challenges, without implementing a long-term humanitarian ceasefire. However, teachers and relief organisations caution that even a potential cessation of hostilities, temporary or permanent, will not enable Gaza’s children to promptly resume their education.
They predict that the sector will need weeks, possibly months, before schools can reopen, considering the complexities involved. The Gaza Strip, even before the fighting, faced a shortage of educational facilities, requiring many schools to operate in two shifts - a problem that is now greatly exacerbated by the battles and their aftermath.
The scarcity of educational supplies has reached an unprecedented level as well, directly resulting from the war and the repurposing of materials, such as wooden seats, used for heating and cooking by displaced individuals sheltering in schools.
Additionally, the daunting task of replacing the teaching staff who lost their lives in the past two months looms large, suggesting that the current battles will cast a prolonged, dark shadow over the future of an entire generation of Palestinian children.