Gaza: 541,000 students return to school after three-year disruption

Approximately 541,000 students in the Gaza Strip resumed the new academic year on Saturday after a three-year interruption, amid widespread damage to schools and shortages of classrooms, equipment, and teaching staff.

In a statement marking the start of the academic year, the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education and Education stated that the educational process is resuming under exceptional circumstances through approximately 700 educational points and 25 temporary schools, alongside the continuation of virtual education for students who are unable to reach educational sites.

The ministry added that the return of students faces challenges, most notably the continued use of several schools as shelters for displaced persons and the out-of-service status of many educational facilities due to the destruction they suffered during the war. It noted that more than 179 public schools were completely destroyed, while more than 105 schools affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) were subjected to shelling and vandalism.

The ministry clarified that the education sector has lost large numbers of students, teachers, and educational institution workers, with 802 school employees and 246 university employees killed since October 7, 2023, while thousands of others have been injured.