Shafaq News– Khan Younis

In displacement camps south of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian teachers have set up improvised classrooms inside tents to provide basic education for children who have been cut off from formal schooling by war and repeated displacement.

Speaking to Shafaq News, teacher Abdulsalam explained that the tent has become more than a place of shelter, describing it as the last line of defense against ignorance and erasure. He stressed that losing education would mean losing everything, as teachers try to preserve children’s ability to read and write amid widespread destruction.

Abdulsalam noted that many lessons now begin with helping children relearn how to write their own names. “The war has attempted to erase memory before books, turning the tent into a space of resilience where both teachers and students reject the idea of a permanent break from education.”

The task is compounded by the scale of damage to Gaza’s education system. More than 97% of schools across the enclave have been destroyed or severely damaged, according to local education officials. Teachers lack basic supplies such as textbooks, stationery, and desks, while children attend lessons in extreme heat or cold, often hungry and physically exhausted.

Behind these initiatives are teachers who are themselves displaced. They leave their own tents daily to deliver lessons under harsh conditions. Teacher Moeen Sheikh Eid told Shafaq News that although educators are living the same reality of displacement, their presence with children provides them with a reason to keep going.

Teachers face acute logistical challenges, from the absence of curricula and books to a shortage of writing materials, forcing them to rely on rudimentary tools to convey lessons and record notes.

Beyond interrupted schooling, educators are also confronting what they describe as severe “learning loss.” Signs of declining basic literacy and numeracy skills have become increasingly evident among children, driven by psychological trauma and prolonged absence from classrooms.

Abdulsalam said some children have forgotten letters entirely, while others are frightened by loud sounds. He described education in the camps as a form of therapy as much as a source of knowledge.

What began as individual efforts has gradually developed into broader community initiatives. Sheikh Eid said his educational project started in a single tent before expanding to around 10 tents, now serving approximately 800 boys and girls.

The project has grown to include lessons in reading, writing, mathematics, and English, alongside recreational activities and psychological support designed to help children cope with the effects of war and trauma.

Teachers also focus on restoring daily routines and teaching discipline in an unstable environment. Sheikh Eid said the initiative began with almost no resources, but continued because of a shared belief that education is a right that does not disappear during war, adding that the absence of schooling posed a danger comparable to the violence itself.

Ahmed Al-Najjar, Director General of Public Relations and Media at Gaza’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education, told Shafaq News that the education sector is facing what he described as the most dangerous phase in its history.

Al-Najjar said more than 637,000 students have been deprived of regular education for over two years, resulting in the loss of entire academic years, sharp declines in literacy and numeracy skills, and strong psychological effects that threaten children’s futures.

“The war has killed more than 80 school teachers and 160 university professors and academics,” he added, calling the losses a serious hemorrhage that endangers Gaza’s social fabric and prospects for intellectual and cultural recovery.

The ministry has responded by establishing field schools inside tents, opening temporary classrooms in available buildings, and launching alternative education programs, though he said these efforts remain limited, according to Al-Najjar.

The director stressed that what is needed goes beyond emergency solutions, calling for comprehensive reconstruction and a sustainable education program to safeguard children’s right to learning. He urged the international community to halt attacks on civilians and educational infrastructure, open safe corridors for rebuilding schools, and support education programs with essential supplies such as furniture, stationery, and learning materials.