GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Palestinian ministry of education has announced the start of the 2026/27 academic year in the Gaza Strip amid extremely difficult educational and humanitarian conditions resulting from the ongoing war.
In a statement released on Saturday, the ministry said thousands of students and teachers continue to live in tents and displacement shelters, facing severe shortages of basic educational resources as well as harsh psychosocial challenges.
In a statement, the ministry paid tribute to students, teachers and staff members from the education sector who were martyred, and expressed its full solidarity with the wounded and prisoners.
The ministry also commended the exceptional efforts made by educational personnel to continue fulfilling their national and humanitarian mission despite the instability of the learning environment.
The ministry said it was able, in cooperation with its partners, to make tangible progress towards restoring the education process, culminating in the return of about 500,000 students to classrooms.
It added that dozens of field schools and alternative learning spaces had been set up and equipped with available furniture and student needs, with the aim of providing a minimum level of stability for the education process.
The ministry called on UNRWA to reopen its schools to address the widespread education crisis impacting thousands of children.
The ministry also urged the international community and UN agencies to find fair and sustainable solutions for the displaced families sheltering in school buildings, in a way that preserves their dignity and right to housing.
