Resuming Education: A Hopeful Start for Children in Gaza

Fri Jan 09 2026 09:17:14 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

After years of war, children in Gaza return to makeshift schools, marking a fragile but hopeful beginning for their education. Despite challenges, educators and families share their determination to foster learning.

In the aftermath of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, children are beginning to return to school, albeit in makeshift tents. The physical and emotional toll the war has taken on the education system is immense, with over 97% of schools damaged or destroyed. This transition back to education brings both relief and anxiety for families, as students adapt to new learning environments with significant challenges. The role of teachers and support systems has become essential in helping these children cope with trauma while aiming to restore a sense of normalcy.

In Gaza City, the sound of children learning can be heard once again.

The tents that now serve as classrooms are noisy and a little chaotic but lively. Some teachers point to boards covered in English letters; others invite pupils to come forward and write basic Arabic words.

It is nowhere near a normal school day. But after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in October, it's a start.

After two years of war, the hum of lessons and chatter of classmates resonates around the ruins of what was once Lulwa Abdel Wahab al-Qatami School, in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood in the south-western part of Gaza City.

It was hit in January 2024, and for months afterwards, its grounds served as a shelter for displaced families. Today, it is again a place of learning - albeit in a more basic form.

Walking in a straight line, their small arms resting on each other's shoulders, pupils smile as they head into the makeshift classrooms.

For many, this is the first return to routine and education since the war began.

According to Unicef, more than 97% of schools in Gaza were damaged or destroyed during the war. The IDF has made repeated claims that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure including schools to carry out operations but has rarely provided solid evidence.

Of the Strip's 658,000 school-aged children, most have had no formal education for nearly two years. During that time, many learned first-hand how hunger, displacement and death can shape their young lives. Now, something rare is emerging: a fragile glimpse of the childhoods they once knew.

Fourteen-year-old Naeem al-Asmaar used to attend this school before it was destroyed. He lost his mother in an Israeli air strike during the war.

It was the hardest thing I've ever been through, he says quietly.

Although he was displaced for months, Naeem's home in Gaza City survived. After the ceasefire, he returned with his family.

I missed being in school a lot, Naeem said adding that the difference is stark.

Before the war, school was in real classrooms, now it's tents. We only study four subjects. There isn't enough space. The education is not the same - but being here matters. School fills all my time and I really needed that.

Dr Mohammed Saeed Schheiber manages the makeshift school, facilitated by Unicef, that serves 1,100 children with only 24 teachers working in shifts.

Despite the challenges, educators hope to provide some semblance of normalcy in these children's lives. A counselor runs psychological support sessions to assist children in processing their trauma, although many continue to face immense emotional stress.

Parents like Huda Bassam al-Dasouki express both relief and concern as they navigate supply shortages and learning delays, hopeful that education can bridge the impact of loss while faced with escalating costs and difficulties.

The determination to continue learning persists among both students and educators, as they collectively strive for a brighter future amidst the devastation.