Gaza Children Return to School Amid Challenges
Friday, 2026/01/09250 words4 minutes789 reads
In the war-torn landscape of Gaza City, a semblance of normalcy is emerging as children return to education in makeshift schools. The tents that now serve as classrooms resonate with the sounds of learning, a stark contrast to the silence that pervaded during the two-year conflict. These improvised educational spaces, while far from ideal, represent a crucial step towards restoring a sense of routine and hope for Gaza's youth.
The scale of destruction is staggering, with Unicef reporting that over 97% of Gaza's schools were damaged or destroyed during the war. This has left the majority of the Strip's 658,000 school-aged children without formal education for nearly two years. The current educational initiative, spearheaded by Unicef, operates under severe constraints. The makeshift school runs in three shifts, accommodating boys and girls on alternating days, with a mere 24 teachers serving 1,100 students.
The challenges extend beyond physical infrastructure. Many students grapple with profound trauma, having lost family members or homes. The school has integrated psychological support sessions, but resources are stretched thin. Moreover, the limited curriculum focuses only on core subjects: Arabic, English, mathematics, and science.
Despite these hurdles, the resilience of both educators and students shines through. As one teacher, Kholoud Habib, poignantly states, 'Education is our foundation. As Palestinians, it is our capital. We lose homes. We lose money. We lose everything. But knowledge - knowledge is the one investment we can still give our children.' This sentiment encapsulates the indomitable spirit driving Gaza's educational renaissance amidst adversity.
