Full Breakdown
Gaza’s New School Year Begins in Tents After Three Years of War
By Drooid · · How we work
Return to Face-to-Face Learning
On September 19 the 2026-2027 academic year opened in Gaza, but most classrooms are temporary tents erected in displaced-person neighborhoods. The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education reported that about 541,000 students entered face-to-face learning that day, up from 317,332 in January and 120,000 in virtual programs.
Background & Context
The conflict that began with Israel’s invasion in October 2023 displaced most of the population and destroyed the majority of school infrastructure. A cease-fire signed in October 2025 reduced large-scale hostilities but did not end Israeli bombing, and the blockade continues to restrict construction and shelter materials.
Data & Statistics
- Infrastructure damage: UNICEF estimates 98 % of Gaza’s school buildings were damaged, with more than 93 % needing major rehabilitation or reconstruction.
- Human toll: Ibrahim Ramadan, director of the Ministry of Education’s Khan Younis department, said 777 education workers and over 22,000 students have been killed.
- Learning gaps: UNICEF notes 700,000 children missed formal schooling for almost three years; 420,000 have had no face-to-face instruction.
- Enrollment projections: Ramadan expects roughly 400,000 students to enroll this year, while the Ministry’s target is 350,000. IMEMC reports about 320 schools and learning points are operating, up from roughly 270 last year.
On-the-Ground Reports
Parents and teachers describe daily life in the makeshift classrooms. In al-Katiba, Gaza City, Rana Totah, 30, walked her two sons to a municipal tent school.
Inside a tent near the port, Nesma Nahid Abu Asim, a mathematics teacher since 2010, writes on a whiteboard while children sit on mattresses with notebooks on their laps, noting the lack of basic stationery, desks and chairs.
Eleven-year-old Osama Alayleh expressed relief at being back, though he prefers a regular building with tables.
At Ahbab Shujayea School, director Inaam al-Batreekhi said more than 300 students study without notebooks or stationery, and classes run only from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. because of security concerns.
Market prices have surged. Khaled Oweis, 37, estimated that buying basic supplies for his two sons now costs over 250 shekels (? $80), compared with less than 100 shekels before the war. Stationery shop owner Yahya al-Firea’ reported a notebook that once cost 1.5 shekels now sells for 10 shekels, with goods limited to roughly ten trucks out of the thousand needed.
Official Statements & Responses
The Ministry provided the September 19 enrollment figures and outlined an “Accelerated Learning Program” for grades 2-9, focusing on core subjects while UNICEF trains principals and teachers to assess learning gaps.
UNICEF’s assessment of school-building damage underpins calls for major reconstruction, and UNRWA opened 86 learning spaces and plans to expand in-person classes as safe locations become available.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the total number of students expected to attend. The Ministry cites 541,000 returning on September 19, while Ramadan projects 400,000 and the Ministry’s own target is 350,000. IMEMC’s estimate of 320 schools contrasts with UNICEF’s broader figure of 700,000 children lacking formal schooling. No source provides a definitive timeline for rebuilding permanent school facilities.
What’s Next
The technocratic Gaza government has drafted 71 reconstruction projects to be implemented within six months, pending Israeli approval of construction materials. Humanitarian groups continue to request timber, shelter kits and excavators. UNRWA plans to increase its in-person learning spaces as security permits, and the Ministry aims to expand the Accelerated Learning Program to close the extensive knowledge gaps created by years of disruption.