Children attend a class in a tent being used as a make-shift educational centre for primary education students in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Sept. 8, 2024. (Credit: Omar al-Qattaa/AFP)
As children around the world go back to school or prepare themselves to go back to class, over 600,000 Palestinian children have not had access to formal education since October 2023, according to the U.N. relief agency for Palestinian refugees (UNWRA).
This situation is further complicated by the destruction, in Israeli airstrikes of 53 schools, while more than 200 others have been heavily damaged, according to numbers published by Al-Jazeera.
These numbers are alarming, given the already fragile state of the region’s education system. Gaza's schools, including those operated by UNRWA, are struggling to maintain even the most basic levels of functionality. Many of these schools have been repurposed as shelters for displaced civilians, further complicating efforts to resume educational activities.
Shelters
The destruction and damage to schools, combined with the displacement of families and the rising death toll, UNRWA says, has created an educational and humanitarian crisis for Gaza's youth. Schools now lie in ruins or are overwhelmed by the needs of displaced civilians seeking shelter.
An Israeli aircraft bombed the Halima Al-Sadia School at midnight on Saturday. The school sheltered hundreds of displaced people in Jabalia Al-Nazla, in the north of the Gaza Strip. Four people were killed, and an undisclosed number were wounded.
Another Israeli aircraft also bombed the Amr Ibn Al-Aas School, which also shelters displaced people to the north of Gaza City, on Saturday afternoon. There too, four Palestinians were killed, one of whom was a child, reported the Middle East Monitor.
Schooling delayed in Gaza
UNRWA had planned for 58,000 students to start their first grade this year, but these children have been forced to delay their schooling, a situation that could have lasting effects on their futures. Additionally, according to Al-Jazeera, more than 39,000 students were unable to take their high school exams.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, the U.N. has reported that the death toll for children in Gaza has risen to over 25,000 since the conflict escalated, with more than 10,000 students among the victims.
A chance to 'simply be children'
UNRWA, which plays a crucial role in providing education to Palestinian refugees, has called for an end to the violence, emphasizing the importance of allowing children to return to school. In a statement, the agency highlighted the psychological and emotional toll the conflict is taking on Gaza's children: "Give them some respite, a chance to reconnect with their friends & to simply be children." This call underscores the critical role that schools play, not just in providing education but also in offering a sense of community, support and normalcy for children caught in conflict.
UNRWA and other humanitarian organizations are calling for increased efforts to protect schools and ensure that children have the opportunity to learn in safety. As the conflict rages on, the future of Gaza’s children remains uncertain. For now, thousands of young lives hang in the balance, awaiting a ceasefire that could allow them to return to school and begin the long journey of healing and rebuilding. Until then, the children of Gaza continue to endure not only the war but also the deprivation of one of their most basic rights — the right to education.