Tulin, age 7, is getting ready for her first day of school in two years, a small tent overshadowed by the sound of nearby gunfire.
This would be an exciting time for the majority of the kids. It is a terror-filled chapter for Tulin and her mother.
The majority of Gaza’s educational infrastructure has been destroyed as a result of the ongoing Israeli conflict, which has made it difficult for families to set up “tent schools” close to Israeli forces, which Israel refers to as the “yellow zone” west of the separation line and frequently only a few meters from danger.
According to Shady Shamieh, Tulin’s mother, “I honestly walk with my heart in my hand until my daughter gets to school.”
“Many times, I find myself uninvolved following her until she leaves the classroom. She continued, “I think there is something [dangerous] that she should learn.” She would now be in second grade if not for this circumstance. However, we are determined.
“Lie in the position of sleep.”
The path to the classroom is hazardous. Tulin admits to being afraid of the open spaces while traversing the rubble of Beit Lahiya.
Tulin said, “I’m afraid of the shooting when I go to school.” “I can’t find a wall to hide behind,” he says, “to prevent shelling or stray bullets from hitting us.”
Protection is absent from the tents inside. The students are determined to learn, but the canvas walls cannot stop bullets.
Their teacher describes a terrifying daily routine, with sniper fire frequently slicing through their classrooms.
The teacher remarked, “The location is challenging because it is close to the occupation force[forces].” We instruct the children to “Take the sleeping position” when the shooting begins. I shiver when I pray for God’s protection against injuries. We leave them lying on the ground until the shooting is over.
She continued, “We have been exposed to gunfire more than once.” “We remain despite this,” Our occupation’s policy is knowledge, while our policy is ignorance.
Ahmed, who lost his father during the war, is one of the students. He told Al Jazeera, “We come with difficulty and leave with difficulty because of the shooting.” However, I want to fulfill my martyred father’s wish that I pursue a career in medicine.
One of the biggest catastrophes, in my opinion.
The enclave’s education system is being sluggish as a result of the desperate scenes in Beit Lahiya.
The UNICEF in Palestine spokesperson Kazem Abu Khalaf described the situation as “one of the biggest catastrophes” in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on Monday.
According to Abu Khalaf, “98% of all schools in the Gaza Strip have experienced varying degrees of damage, ranging up to total destruction.”
He noted that 88 percent of these schools either needed a complete reconstruction or a complete rehabilitation.
The human toll is staggering: 70, 000 kindergarten-aged children and 638, 000 school-aged children are completing their third year of education without success.
Speech and trauma barriers
Despite UNICEF and its partners establishing 109 temporary learning facilities for 135,000 students, alarming signs are emerging of the psychological wounds of the war.
Abu Khalaf claimed that field teams have observed severe student development regression and that educational specialists must make additional efforts.
The books are prohibited
The education sector is also facing a logistical blockade due to structural destruction and trauma. Nearly no educational materials have been permitted into the Strip since the war started in October 2023, according to Abu Khalaf.
In reality, he said, “The biggest challenge is that almost no learning materials have even entered Gaza.”
UNICEF is currently working on a “Back to Learning” campaign aimed at 200, 000 children, focusing on Arabic, English, math, and science, as well as other recreational activities to “repair the children’s psyche before anything else.”
Abu Khalaf, however, emphasized that any campaign’s success depends on Israel’s lifting of restrictions.
