Gaza Faces Third Consecutive Year of Education Crisi
As the new school year begins across much of the world, pupils in Gaza are unable to return to classrooms for the third year in a row. Israeli attacks have left around 65 per cent of schools either destroyed, severely damaged, or converted into shelters for displaced families.
In an effort to mitigate the crisis, volunteer teachers have established “learning points” and online platforms. However, persistent power cuts and limited internet access mean these alternatives remain largely ineffective. Although the new academic year is scheduled to start online on 15 September, the Ministry of Education in Gaza has warned that the majority of children will still be excluded from lessons.
According to ministry spokesperson Majdi Barhoum, around 650,000 school-age children are affected: “For the third year in a row, our students are being denied their right to sit in a classroom. This deepens the learning gap, and some pre-school children may grow up without even basic literacy.”
Barhoum accused Israel of deliberately targeting Gaza’s education system: “The aim is to leave this generation ignorant. But with the determination of our teachers and students, we will not allow this to succeed.”