Gaza’s back-to-school coverage misses the crucial test: what are children being taught? - analysis
For Gaza to have a different future - for the thousands of children returning to school for a better future than the one Hamas has condemned them to - it is not enough merely to reopen classrooms.
Gaza students returned to in-person schooling for the first time in nearly three years last week. This could represent a moment of promise or more of the same, depending on what is taught. Israel and monitoring organizations have long alleged that schools indoctrinate children to hate Jews and Israel. The article cited UNICEF's claim that 98% of Gaza's schools were destroyed or damaged during the war, but did not explain how those figures were compiled or verified.
The article also reported that 22,000 students and 770 education workers, including 532 teachers, had been killed, but did not clarify whether any of the education workers were affiliated with Hamas or other terrorist organizations. The story emphasized the lack of functioning school buildings and the need for makeshift classrooms, but did not delve into the curriculum or the qualifications of the teachers.
The article did mention that Israel accused Hamas of using schools for military purposes, but this statement was quickly followed by the denial from Hamas. The most unsettling omission is the article's lack of information about the content of the curriculum, who is teaching the children, and who is responsible for setting the educational standards.
This is a crucial aspect of the story, as it determines whether the education system will help Gaza break free from the cycle of hatred and violence or perpetuate it.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
