Education remains a distant dream for children in Gaza

GAZA STRIP — September marks the start of the school year for children in many parts around the world, but for the Palestinian students living in war-torn Gaza, the prospect of returning to school this September continues to be a distant hope — just like last year.

At the entrance of a displacement camp in the central Gaza Strip city of Deir al-Balah, 12-year-old Maram sat quietly, with an old, dust-covered school bag placed beside her.

"Every year I used to go with my mother to buy new notebooks and pencils, but for three years we haven't bought anything," she said in a low voice.

"I took my school bag with me, but I cannot use it anymore. At this time of year, we used to prepare to return to class, but now I only see the tent. Sometimes I write on old papers, so I don't forget the letters," she said.

Next to her, Ahmed, a 15-year-old tenth grader from Deir al-Balah, voiced similar frustration.

"I dreamed of becoming an engineer and building a house for my family, but everything has stopped. Since the beginning of the war, we haven't been able to attend school. Some of my friends were killed, others displaced, and I haven't seen them for months," he said.

"If more years pass without studying, what will I become? A young man without knowledge or a degree?" he asked.

Including the two children, over 660,000 students in Gaza currently lack access to classrooms and educational materials as the conflict, now in its 23rd month, continues to devastate infrastructure and turn schools into shelters for displaced families, according to data released by the United Nations.

At the al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, Abu Mohammed al-Hawwash, a father of five, expressed deep concern. "The war destroyed schools and universities and killed students and teachers," he said.

Some displaced teachers are trying to fill the gap with improvised lessons, but their efforts remain limited.

Suad al-Awadi, a 35-year-old Arabic teacher who now lives in a tent in Khan Younis, said that she gathers groups of children in the camp and tries to teach them basic reading and writing.

"Sometimes we write letters in the sand or on torn papers, and I repeat the alphabet and simple words with them, so they don't completely forget," she said. Even if they are given some opportunities to attend classes, many children already face significant learning difficulties caused by the conflict.

"They have lost relatives or seen their homes destroyed, and when I try to teach them letters, they sometimes cry or talk about what happened to them. Their minds are filled with fear," al-Awadi explained.

Xinhua