The war on Palestinians in Gaza has been referred to as a war on men, a war on women, and a war on children. The war on Palestinians in Gaza is all this and more: it is also a war on education.

Before the conflict escalated and education was unjustly restricted, Palestinians were educationally successful. In the State of Palestine, education is compulsory for those in grades 1-10 and the completion of grade 10 is required for the completion of basic education (United Nations Children’s Fund). In 2022, the completion rate for basic education was at 88 percent and the completion rate for secondary education was at 63 percent. Even with these completion rates, Palestinians have one of the highest literacy rates in the world. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics found that both males and females ages 15-24 in the Gaza Strip had a literacy rate of 99.4 percent in 2022. However, we are now seeing a war on education as the education in Gaza has been completely disrupted and students in Gaza have no access to education.

Scholasticide in Gaza

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), even though the Palestinian population is one of the most literate in the world, “the [Palestinian] education system is in disrepair and failing, due largely to effects of the Israeli occupation [through] insufficient school infrastructure, lack of adequately trained teachers, and a lack of access to schooling in marginalized areas.”¹https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/migration/ps/UNDP-papp-research-PHDR2015Education.pdf Over fifteen years ago, the systematic destruction by Israeli forces on centers of education was termed a “scholasticide.” They bombed the Ministry of Education, they destroyed the infrastructure of teaching, and schools across the Gaza Strip were targeted for attack by air, sea, and ground offensives (The Guardian). Now, as Israel wages a war on education, another scholasticide is occurring in Gaza.

Targeting of Gaza’s Students, Educators, and Institutions

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Scholasticide (PC: Al Jazeera)

Since early November, no student in Gaza has been able to attend school as the Ministry of Education suspended the 2023-2024 school year due to the indiscriminate targeting of schools. 625,000 children have been out of school for over 100 days and Gaza’s children have lost a combined 196,918 years of education (AJ+). The Palestinian Ministry of Education attested that at least 4,327 students have been killed, over 7,800 students have been injured, 231 teachers and administrators have been killed, and over 750 teachers and administrators have been injured. The indiscriminate targeting of schools places a heavy toll on students and educators in Gaza as a result of this scholasticide. According to Scholars Against the War on Palestine (SAWP), 70 percent of Gaza’s education infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. Israel has damaged over 350 schools and they have bombed every university in Gaza. The education institutions that remain are being used as shelters for Palestinians who have been displaced and forced to flee their homes (Save the Children). It is unlikely that schools can reopen while the Israeli forces continue to target Gaza’s students, educators, and education institutions. In addition, it will take years to rebuild the education infrastructures that were destroyed and it will take time to ensure an established education system for the people of Gaza.

Students with Disabilities

The lack of access to education is going to be particularly difficult for Palestinian students with functional disabilities and physical disabilities. The most common functional disabilities in Palestine are emotional, cognitive, and behavioral (United Nations Children’s Fund). Before the conflict escalated, four out of five children in Gaza were living with depression, fear, and grief (The Guardian) and it was estimated that more than a quarter of Gaza’s children required psychosocial support due to past trauma (UNICEF). Clearly, the impact of violence significantly impacts children and their mental health from an emotional, cognitive, and behavioral realm. The traumatic experiences the individuals in Gaza have suffered through is going to affect them in numerous ways and it will increase the number of individuals living with severe mental health conditions and functional disabilities.

Students with functional disabilities in Palestine were already limited in their access to education and the war is only going to make matters worse. In 2022, children with functional disabilities were over-represented among children who were not attending school in Palestine. While children with functional disabilities represent 15 percent of all children, they constitute 39 percent of children who are out of school at the basic level of education and 20 percent of children who are out of school at the secondary level (United Nations Children’s Fund). These numbers demonstrate that there was already a lack of access to education for students with functional disabilities, so this war on education and educational institutions is only going to worsen the lack of access to education for students with physical disabilities in Gaza.

In Palestine, the most common physical disabilities relate to walking and seeing (United Nations Children’s Fund). The recent Israeli bombardment has led to over 1,000 children losing one or more limbs (AJ+) and more than ten children a day lose a limb in Gaza. The statistics for children with functional disabilities can give an idea of what the statistics might look like for children with physical disabilities, but having a physical disability in an area like Gaza is going to make attending school exceptionally more difficult. With 70 percent of Gaza’s education infrastructure damaged, there is no guarantee that the infrastructures still standing will survive or whether they are accommodating and accessible to children with physical disabilities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the systematic destruction of educational institutions in Gaza is undeniably a war on education. Palestinians are known to be one of the most literate people in the world and Gaza alone has a staggering literacy rate of 99.4 percent for males and females ages 15-24. The high rates of literacy in Gaza show a deep love and appreciation for education, but that love and appreciation is being hindered as Israel continues to target schools through their heinous crimes.

The war on education is more than just destroyed infrastructure that can eventually be rebuilt. The war on education specifically targets children by attacking their education institutions that were created for the purpose of providing education for thousands of children who deserve the right to learn in a safe environment. The purposeful targeting of schools and education infrastructures being destroyed limits, if not completely eliminates, the access students have to education and the resources they need to succeed academically.

Regardless of what they have endured, Palestinians in Gaza have demonstrated a long history of resistance and success within the realm of education. Education is significant to the Palestinian tradition and the Palestinian revolution, and the Palestinians in Gaza are a perfect example of this. For Palestinians everywhere, education is liberation and a right they deserve to have.

Related:

– 5 Steps To Grow From Passive To Active Bystanders During The Genocide Of Gaza

– MuslimKidsMatter | The Prisoner of Life Poem (Ode to Children in Gaza)