After 3 years of interruption.. Gaza students return to in-person classes
Agencies3 min read
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The new academic year for Gaza students started today, Saturday, under exceptional circumstances, after a 3-year interruption due to the genocidal war waged by the Israeli occupation on the sector in 2023.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education explained that the start of the new academic year 2026/2027 came after completing the necessary arrangements and evaluating the educational reality, through multiple educational paths to accommodate the conditions of all students inside and outside the sector, according to the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA).
The Ministry attributed the delay in the start of the academic year in Gaza to technical and logistical reasons and consideration of weather conditions and high temperatures, especially since a large portion of the students will receive their education in tents and caravans.
It pointed out that the educational process will be organized according to two main paths (in-person and virtual) to ensure the regularity of education and the continuation of students' progress in several aspects, most importantly in-person education, which is dedicated to students present within the sector who are able to attend in-person schools.
The Ministry's plan in Gaza is based on expanding in-person education by providing about 700
educational points distributed in various areas, in addition to 25 temporary schools expected to be handed over soon.
The number of students benefiting from the educational process in the sector is about 541,000 students, including about 100,000 in UNRWA schools.
Parallel to in-person education, virtual schools will continue for students unable to attend educational points, as well as for Gaza students outside the sector.
Virtual schools dedicated to Gaza students abroad benefit about 20,000 students, while virtual schools within the sector target about 70,000 students who cannot attend in-person education.
The Ministry is preparing to launch the 'eSchool' school communication environment for the sector in conjunction with the start of the academic year, enhancing communication between students and educational staff and ensuring the continuity of the educational process.
It will also continue first aid, psychological support, and remote counseling programs, along with technical support to address emergency issues faced by students and educational staff, in addition to involving Gaza students in student activities organized by the Ministry, ensuring their participation in educational and educational programs.
To support and enhance interactive education in schools, over the past months, 1926 schools have been connected to high-speed internet/fiber service, making the vast majority of schools equipped with high-efficiency internet service.
To ensure a supportive environment for the educational process and guarantee the reliability of energy provision, the number of schools equipped with solar energy systems has reached over 900 schools, which constitute about 45% of the schools, and work is underway to equip dozens more in the near future.
It is noteworthy that about 846,000 students enrolled in West Bank schools on September 5, marking the start of the 2026/2027 academic year, distributed across 2537 public and private schools and UNRWA schools, under the supervision of about 54,000 teachers.
