This Monday morning, the new school
year began in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, while students in
Gaza remain displaced in tents and outside educational institutions due to the
ongoing war for more than 11 months.
According to the Palestinian Ministry
of Education, over 10,000 students have been killed in Gaza, and 15,000 have
been injured, with more than 2,500 now living with disabilities. Additionally,
19,000 students have fled the Gaza Strip. Last year, 39,000 students in Gaza
were deprived of taking the high school exams, and 58,000 children were
prevented from starting school and joining the first grade.
The Israeli war machine has not only
targeted students and educational staff but also destroyed the educational
infrastructure almost entirely. Around 90% of educational institutions in all
provinces of the Strip have been damaged by the ongoing war, including 70% of
UNRWA schools, which have been completely or partially destroyed. The Gaza
government's media office reports that the occupation has demolished 112
schools and universities, while 3,344 educational institutions require
restoration.
Struggling Attempts to Resume Classes
On September 4, the Minister of
Education and Higher Education in Ramallah announced the ministry's decision to
resume education in Gaza despite the ongoing war through an e-learning system,
with efforts to hold this year’s high school exams.
This announcement is part of attempts
to restart the education system in Gaza. However, this initiative faces
numerous obstacles, given the dire humanitarian situation in the Strip, as well
as the difficulty of accessing electricity and the internet for most families.
Additionally, students are distanced from a learning environment, often
occupied with household responsibilities or securing basic needs for their
families.
Many teachers are involved in
individual initiatives in tents and on the rubble of homes, conducting
educational and social sessions in hopes of salvaging the educational progress
of displaced students in the Strip.
An Intellectual War?
According to Gaza's government media
office, the occupation has deliberately assassinated 100 scientists and
academics during its current war on the Strip. This includes 17 individuals
with the rank of professor, 59 with a PhD, and 18 with a master's degree.
Additionally, 400 teachers have been killed in Gaza, according to the
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor.
The Palestinian Association for Human
Rights "Witness" confirms that these practices are part of a
systematic policy aimed at weakening the Palestinian society and stripping
future generations of educational and developmental opportunities. Returning
education to its previous state, or at least reopening educational institutions
and bringing students back to their classrooms, could take several years due to
the extent of the destruction and the gap left by the war.
Targeting schools and terrorizing
children is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,
particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, which obliges states to protect
civilians, especially children, during times of war. According to Article 8 of
the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, deliberate attacks on
educational institutions and civilian infrastructure are considered war crimes
that warrant international investigation and accountability for those responsible.
Therefore, we, at the Palestinian
Association for Human Rights (Witness), strongly condemn the Israeli plan aimed
at paralyzing the educational process in Gaza and depriving entire generations
of the most basic levels of knowledge, constituting a flagrant violation of
their fundamental rights and a war crime.
We call for intensified international
efforts to provide a safe environment for the resumption of education in Gaza,
saving the current school year, and ensuring a comprehensive recovery plan,
including rebuilding and restoring educational facilities, as well as programs
for integration, rehabilitation, and academic support. This should be coupled
with psychological and social support systems for children, families, and
educational staff.
We also urge efforts to support the
resumption of the school year and call on the international community and
donors to provide the necessary resources to ensure the success of the
e-learning initiative and the establishment of equipped tents in displacement
camps to ensure that students have access to virtual lessons.
The Palestinian Association for Human
Rights (Witness)
Beirut in 10/9/2024