45,000 first graders unable to start the new school year in the Gaza Strip: UNICEF

AMMAN, 9 September 2024 – As children prepare for their first year and first day at school across several countries in the Middle East, at least 45,000 six-year-old children in the Gaza Strip are deprived of this right. The vast majority of them have been displaced from their homes and are facing a daily battle for survival.

The new school year was due to start across the State of Palestine today, but it has not resumed in the Gaza Strip where the intense conflict continues to take a dramatic toll on Gaza’s students, teachers and schools. The first graders join 625,000 children who have already been denied an entire school year, and with the conflict still ongoing, face the high risk of a second year without education.

“Children in the Gaza Strip have lost their homes, family members, friends, safety, and routine,” said UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Adele Khodr. “They have also lost the sanctuary and stimulation provided by school, putting their bright futures at risk of being dimmed by this terrible conflict.” 

Since October 2023, every school in the Gaza Strip has been shuttered. Among the students who were unable to learn last year are 39,000 students who missed their final year of school and couldn’t take their Tawjihi exams. This marks the first time in decades that a graduating class in the Strip has faced such a situation.

For older children, the disruption to their education has created uncertainty and anxiety. Without schooling, young people are at an increased risk of exploitation, child labor, early marriage, and other forms of abuse, and most importantly they are at risk of dropping out of school permanently. 

For younger children, the absence of schooling threatens their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Parents are reporting significant mental health and psychosocial impacts among children, including feelings of increased frustration and isolation.

Children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem are also affected as the school year starts. Increasing violence and movement restrictions since October 2023 have created new learning barriers for the 782,000 students there. Data from the Ministry of Education and the Education Cluster suggests that, on any day since October 2023, between 8 and 20 per cent of schools in the West Bank have been closed. Even when schools are not closed, the fear of violence, movement restrictions, and mental health concerns have led many students to skip school, leading to more learning loss.

In both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, attacks on schools and education have increased in recent weeks. In the Gaza Strip, at least 84 per cent of schools require full reconstruction or significant rehabilitation before schooling can resume. In the West Bank including East Jerusalem, there has been 69 attacks on schools and 2,354 incidents affecting schools, students and teachers in or around schools, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Education.

Despite these overwhelming and critical needs, education continues to be one of the least funded sectors in humanitarian appeals. In the State of Palestine, UNICEF’s education programming faces an 88 per cent funding gap.

To respond to this situation, UNICEF and its partners have established 39 Temporary Learning Spaces in the Gaza Strip serving over 12,400 students. In addition, recreational activities, emergency learning kits, and Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) are being offered to children, youth, caregivers, and teachers in shelters.

“We must find ways to restart learning and rebuild schools to uphold the right to education of the next generations in the State of Palestine,” Khodr continued “Children need stability to cope with the trauma they have experienced, and the opportunity to develop and reach their full potential,” Khodr continued.

“All barriers preventing us from doing our important work must be lifted. We must urgently be able to bring education and recreational supplies into Gaza at scale, have safe spaces to run learning hubs, and have guarantees students and teachers can safely access, live or learn in school buildings. Above all else, we need a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a de-escalation in the West Bank so all children can return to the classroom and damaged schools can be rebuilt.”

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