Palestinian school year brings excitement for pupils and parents despite difficult conditions
At seven years old, Yemen Abu Odeh is excited about eventually starting going to school. He should have started classes last year and attended kindergarten before that, but the Gaza war that erupted in October 2023 made that impossible. Gaza’s educational infrastructure sustained extensive damage during the war. More than 97 per cent of schools were damaged or destroyed and others required major…
The Palestinian school year brings a sense of optimism for pupils and parents, despite the challenging circumstances. Seven-year-old Yemen Abu Odeh is eager to begin his education, but he missed out on kindergarten and the previous school year due to the Gaza war that started in October 2023. The war caused extensive damage to Gaza’s educational infrastructure, with over 97% of schools destroyed or in need of major rehabilitation. Hundreds of teachers and staff were killed, leaving a gap in the teaching workforce.
Inadequate resources, economic hardship, and fear of violence deter some parents from sending their children to school. Despite these obstacles, children are determined to return to class. In the West Bank, 634,294 children attend 1,967 government schools, while 163,787 pupils are enrolled in private schools and 48,208 attend UNRWA-operated schools. The new academic year began on September 6 in the West Bank and on September 19 in Gaza.
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