Gaza, MINA – The Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Gaza reported that the Israeli genocidal war that lasted more than 15 months has left 85% of schools unable to operate, resulting in the cessation of educational activities for two years, Anadolu Agency reported.
“The Israeli genocide has caused an unparalleled educational disaster in the Gaza Strip,” said Ahmed Al-Najjar, director-general of the ministry’s Public Relations Unit in a statement.
He highlighted that higher education was also severely affected, with the Israeli army killing around 1,200 students and 150 academics, and destroying 140 educational institutions.
“The deliberate destruction of educational facilities in Gaza has made the restoration of the education system a huge challenge,” Najjar stressed.
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According to statistics from the Government Media Office, over the course of 15 months, Israel bombed 1,166 educational institutions, including 927 schools, universities, kindergartens, and learning centers. These institutions were completely destroyed, and the attacks killed a total of 12,800 students and 800 teachers and administrative staff.
Najjar noted that the ministry has drawn up an “emergency response plan” in cooperation with local and international organizations to find a quick solution.
The plan includes the completion of the 2023/2024 academic year and the launch of the 2024/2025 academic year using exceptional measures. This will involve special exam sessions for high school students, according to the official.
The plan also includes rehabilitating damaged schools, setting up temporary schools and educational tents, increasing online learning and home-based schooling to make up for lost learning time, and providing intensive psychological support programs for students and teachers.
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Najjar called on human rights organizations to “document Israel’s crimes against students and educational institutions in Gaza,” urging the international community to “provide urgent support for the reconstruction of schools and educational institutions to ensure that education can resume as soon as possible.”
The Gaza Government Media Office estimated the damage and losses to the education sector due to Israeli actions at more than $2 billion. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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