Restoring education in Gaza: Children return to makeshift classrooms

Key Concepts

• Reopening of Schools in Gaza: The return of educational activities after two years of conflict.
• UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East): The agency facilitating the reopening of schools and providing educational services.
• Displaced Families: Individuals and families forced to leave their homes due to the conflict, often seeking shelter in schools.
• Temporary Safe Learning Spaces: Designated areas within damaged or destroyed school buildings used for educational purposes.
• Dual Use of Classrooms: Classrooms serving as both shelters for displaced families and learning spaces for students.
• Impact of War on Education: The severe disruption and damage to Gaza's educational system and the psychological toll on students.
• Formal vs. Informal Education: The shift from structured schooling to temporary learning initiatives.
• Online Learning: An alternative educational provision for students unable to attend physical classes.

Reopening of Gaza's Classrooms Amidst Crisis

After two years of intense conflict and destruction in Gaza, educational institutions are beginning to resume operations. UNRWA is spearheading the reopening of schools across the strip, offering a fragile but much-needed return to learning for thousands of students. This initiative is taking place in a context where former centers of education have been transformed into shelters for hundreds of displaced families, a direct consequence of the war's devastation.

The Delicate Balance: Shelters and Schools

In areas like Deir al-Balah, displaced families are sharing classrooms with students who are striving to rebuild their futures. A challenging compromise has been reached: families vacate these rooms three times a week to allow students to attend lessons. This arrangement highlights a precarious balance between immediate survival needs and the fundamental right to education. As one displaced individual stated, "We vacated the classrooms to give the children a chance to learn because education is vital. We're prioritizing learning and hope that conditions will improve, allowing for better quality of education." For these families, classrooms represent their only refuge, while for the students, these lessons are a crucial pathway to a better future. The act of returning to these spaces signifies an effort to rebuild confidence and reaffirm the importance of education amidst pervasive uncertainty.

Staggering Scale of Educational Loss

The impact of the conflict on education in Gaza is profound. Over 300,000 UNRWA students have been denied formal education for the past two years. The damage is extensive, with 97% of the agency's school buildings suffering damage or destruction. This has resulted in a generation facing limited access to safe learning environments. UNRWA is actively working to provide face-to-face education through temporary safe learning spaces for over 62,000 students across 67 sheltering schools in Gaza. Concurrently, the agency continues to offer online learning opportunities to 300,000 students in the strip.

The Deeper Crisis: Educational System Collapse

The reopening of schools underscores a more profound crisis: the near collapse of Gaza's educational system and the immense psychological burden placed upon its youngest generation by years of war. Entire grade levels have been effectively erased from Gaza's academic records. A generation has grown up more familiar with the realities of war than with expanding their knowledge or engaging with books. For the children of Gaza, schools are more than just physical structures; they are vital spaces for learning, personal growth, and the nurturing of dreams. The return to class is not merely about academic instruction; it is an opportunity to reclaim a future that has been systematically denied to them by prolonged conflict.

Conclusion

The reopening of schools in Gaza, facilitated by UNRWA, represents a critical step towards restoring normalcy and hope for a generation severely impacted by war. Despite the immense challenges, including the dual use of educational facilities as shelters and the widespread destruction of infrastructure, efforts are underway to provide both in-person and online learning opportunities. The initiative underscores the resilience of the Gazan people and their unwavering commitment to education as a cornerstone for rebuilding their future.