Gaza Students Return to In-Person Education Amid Destruction and Humanitarian Crisis
Hundreds of thousands of students in Gaza have returned to in-person education after a break of nearly three years. The new school year has begun in damaged school buildings and temporary learning spaces, including tents. The cost of essentials such as school uniforms, notebooks and pens remains a major challenge for families.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), approximately 98% of schools in Gaza were damaged or completely destroyed during the war. Education officials in the territory say around 660,000 students were deprived of regular in-person education for an extended period.
For the 2026–2027 academic year, the Ministry of Education established numerous temporary schools with support from international and local organisations. Built using tents, tarpaulins, sheet metal and wood, some of these spaces stand on sandy ground. Some classrooms contain only a few cushions and a blackboard, while some school buildings continue to shelter displaced families.
Alongside the destruction of education infrastructure, access to stationery remains difficult. Vendors say supply shortages and rising prices have made it harder for families to afford school essentials. Prices for some basic stationery items have reportedly risen to several times their pre-war levels.