2 July 2024: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has reported that more than 625,000 children in Gaza have been unable to attend school for over eight months. This situation has arisen due to the ongoing conflict, significantly impacting the region’s educational system.
According to UNRWA, around 300,000 of these children were enrolled in UNRWA schools before the war. The agency emphasized the importance of play and learning activities provided by its teams in preparing children to return to school and reclaim their right to education.
Last week, the Gaza Media Office highlighted that the prolonged Israeli offensive has deprived at least 800,000 students of education. A statement from the Ministry of Education in Gaza revealed that more than 800,000 students at various educational levels have been unable to pursue their studies since October 7th last year. The ministry described the situation as a “genocidal war” waged by the “criminal Zionist occupation” on the Gaza Strip.
Among those affected, 40,000 high school students will not be able to participate in this year’s exams, which poses a significant threat to their future prospects of enrolling in universities both locally and internationally.
While students in the West Bank and Palestinian schools abroad attended their final high school exams last Saturday, the Israeli offensive prevented Gaza’s students from doing so. The Gaza Media Office reported that 85% of educational facilities are currently non-operational due to deliberate targeting, creating a significant challenge for resuming the educational process after the conflict ends.
To address this crisis, plans have been put in place to compensate for the lost academic year. These plans aim to ensure that students from elementary to higher education levels do not lose their essential learning opportunities and skills.
