Educational institutions in Gaza, which was destroyed by Israel's genocidal attacks that started in October 2023 and lasted for more than 2 years, were also severely damaged.
According to United Nations (UN) data, 90 percent of schools in Gaza were destroyed or damaged in Israeli attacks.
In addition, since most of the structures in Gaza were destroyed by Israeli attacks, thousands of Palestinians took shelter in surviving or slightly damaged schools.
Under these conditions, more than 600 thousand Palestinian students in Gaza are preparing for the new academic year after approximately 3 years.
In Gaza, where it is difficult to find stationery, school uniforms and even shoes to wear, Palestinian students will start classes on September 19.
There are almost no schools left to provide education.
Even though the academic year will start soon, many problems await students in Gaza.
The main problem is that there are almost no schools left to provide education. There are very few schools left standing in Gaza, which was destroyed by Israeli attacks.
Additionally, thousands of Palestinians who lost their homes and were displaced due to Israeli attacks have taken shelter in these schools.
It remains unclear what the situation of those displaced will be when education starts in schools and whether these Palestinians will be able to evacuate the schools in question.
Access to stationery products is difficult and expensive due to Israeli restrictions
In addition to the lack of schools to study in, one of the challenges facing Palestinian children in Gaza in the new school year is stationery supplies.
Israel restricts the entry of products into Gaza through its border gates. This causes stationery supplies in Gaza to be scarce and prices to rise.
In Gaza, which was devastated by genocidal attacks, where hunger prevails, and unemployment approaches 80 percent, many families have difficulty buying school uniforms and stationery for their children.
Families who go to the markets to make school preparations encounter exorbitant prices.
“They should continue their education even if it is on bare ground.”
Ummu Visam, a resident of Khan Younis in the south of Gaza, said that she came to the market to buy a school bag for her son, but the prices were astonishing.
Ummu Visam noted that "they were happy to go shopping for school, but they could no longer buy the products they used to buy 2 or 3 of each."
Stating that students need a desk to sit on and a table to study on, and since they do not have these, they receive education on the ground, Ummu Visam said, "Still, they cannot be uneducated, they need to go to school. Even though schools have been destroyed, people have lost their homes and children, and have migrated many times, they should continue their education even on bare ground." He expressed how important education is for Palestinians.
After 3 years, children saw stationery items
Halid Alyan, who sells stationery in the market, stated that after 3 years of stopping education, people went shopping for school, but there was little interest due to the increase in prices and the decrease in purchasing power.
Alyan stated that "there are great difficulties in education because the war is still continuing, schools are destroyed and there are not enough classrooms."
Alyan said that he was even happy to see the stationery supplies of the students who had been writing on the cardboards of the aid boxes because there was no paper for 3 years. "Students always prepared with excitement and joy before the schools opened, but now families cannot buy these materials because the prices are high. They cannot experience the excitement and happiness of returning to school because there is not even a school for them to go to." he said.
The price increase in stationery products is causing trouble
Ensam Abu Hadayid, a mother of 7 children living in a tent in Khan Yunus, said that she had difficulty meeting her children's school needs.
Stating that 5 of the children go to school and one goes to kindergarten, Abu Hadayid explained that the increase in stationery supplies is causing trouble:
"The prices are very high. The school bag, which we used to buy for 20-30 shekels, is now 100 shekels. A notebook costs 5 shekels, a pencil costs 2 shekels. We used to buy a bunch of pencils for 1 shekel. There are stationery items, but people do not have the purchasing power. Before the war, we would buy what the children wanted and they would be happy, but now we cannot buy them."
Abu Hadayid noted that the children had reached a point where they had forgotten how to read and write because they had been away from education for 3 years, and said, "During this period, I was tired of dealing with children's education rather than the war." He pointed out that the responsibility of education also falls on the shoulders of mothers.
“Palestinians used to come first in education, but now they don't even have pens or notebooks.”
Ummu Muhammed Ashur, who lives in a school with her family, also stated that they do not know what to do in the new education period.
"Palestinian people used to come first in the world in terms of education, but now they have no school to go to, no educational tents, no desks to sit on, no pens or notebooks to write with. Most of the children's families are dead. Who will meet the school needs of these children?" Ummu Muhammed Ashur said, calling out to Arab countries to ensure that Palestinian children's ties with science are not severed.
Ummu Muhammad Ashur asked for other places to be found for children to study, as people took refuge in schools.
