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// DOSSIER — gaza-students-return-classes-tents-ruins
Gaza Students Return to Classes in Tents and Ruins After Three-Year Disruption
REL_TIME: 23 Sep 2026 12:16Z · LANG: EN
On September 19, 2026, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children in Gaza returned to in-person schooling for the first time in nearly three years. With 98 percent of school buildings damaged or destroyed by conflict, classes are being held in makeshift tents, ruins, and temporary shelters supported by UNICEF and the Ministry of Education. The return is hampered by severe shortages of basic supplies, a 500 percent increase in stationery costs, and the loss of thousands of students and teachers. Despite an October 2025 ceasefire, the educational infrastructure remains decimated, forcing many to learn while sitting on floors in sweltering or overcrowded conditions.
// Background
The educational system in Gaza has been largely non-functional since October 2023. An October 2025 ceasefire reduced large-scale fighting but left 60 percent of the territory under Israeli control. Prior to this reopening, students relied on virtual learning provided by West Bank teachers or informal initiatives, as nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million residents remain displaced and most buildings are in ruins.
// Key Developments
- Approximately 541,000 students resumed in-person learning on September 19, 2026.
- UNICEF reports 98 percent of Gaza's schools are damaged or destroyed, with 93 percent requiring major reconstruction.
- Casualties include an estimated 22,000 students and over 770 education workers killed during the conflict.
- Stationery prices have surged fivefold due to import restrictions and supply shortages.
- Classes are conducted in 359 temporary learning spaces made of tents, wood, and metal sheets.
// Timeline
-
Escalation of conflict leading to the widespread destruction of Gaza's educational infrastructure.
-
A ceasefire is signed, leading to a decrease in large-scale violence but leaving underlying conflicts unresolved.
-
Ministry reports approximately 317,000 students attending limited face-to-face educational spaces.
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Official start of the new academic year with hundreds of thousands of students returning to makeshift schools.
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Reports confirm students are learning in tents and ruins across Khan Younis, Nuseirat, and Gaza City.
// Perspectives
[Palestinian Ministry of Education]
Prioritizing the restoration of face-to-face learning as a 'mission' despite the total lack of infrastructure.
[UNICEF]
Focusing on the humanitarian crisis in education, highlighting that nearly 700,000 children have missed three consecutive years of school.
[Israeli Government/COGAT]
Maintaining import restrictions and alleging that Hamas uses educational facilities for military purposes.
[Local Stationery Traders]
Attributing the 500 percent price hike in school supplies to Israeli import restrictions and severe scarcity.
// Quotes
“Despite all of this, we will learn, we will learn even in a tent.”
“Now, we are back pursuing our dream … from one tent to another.”
“Teachers continue their work because they believe education is a mission that must reach these students.”
