The education system in Gaza is on the verge of collapse

November 12, 2025

Amna Al-Dabash wrote: War not only kills people, but it also kills hope and dreams and destroys the most important thing that peoples possess: education. When the war of genocide broke out on Gaza, one of the priorities of the Israeli occupation was to target schools and universities, where school desks turned into a painful memory in the memory of generations, and the classrooms became ruins and the curricula became just lost papers on the edge of the roads.

Weakening of society:

The education system in Gaza is one of the basic pillars for building a cohesive society capable of facing challenges. However, the siege, attacks, and violations perpetrated by the Israeli occupation have weakened its infrastructure and exposed it to collapse under the weight of bombing and destruction, depriving entire generations of their natural right to education. In contrast, others live in safer areas in better conditions, creating a knowledge and social gap that is difficult to bridge even after the end of the war.

A Message in a Time of Death:

Teachers in Gaza are paying a heavy price, just like the rest of society, as the brutal war has targeted educational personnel, who are the cornerstone of rebuilding future generations.

Many teachers have lost their families, their homes, or even their lives. Despite this, some continue to fulfill their educational mission under harsh conditions, from the destruction of schools and universities to the ravages of war and its aftermath, including forced displacement where the most basic necessities are lacking, and the transformation of schools into shelters for the displaced. Thus, education loses its natural place and its vital role in the life of Gazan society.

Despite all this pain, the Palestinian teacher remains a symbol of resilience, planting hope in the minds of generations even in the darkest moments, believing that knowledge is the strongest weapon against destruction and that building humanity is the first step towards rebuilding the homeland.

With eyes fixed on hope, the collapse of the education system in Gaza has left profound and multifaceted psychological, social, and academic scars on students, making them among the most vulnerable and suffering groups. Many children and young people now face a tragic reality that pushes them toward the specter of death in their search for quick ways to earn money to meet their needs and support their families. External agendas have not left them alone; rather, the shadow of American-Zionist conspiracies, cloaked in the guise of "humanity" and "justice," has cast a shadow over their very nature, targeting their awareness and robbing them of their future. They are lured by money and lured away from the path of knowledge in the absence of an effective education system that provides them with opportunities for learning and development.

This reality weighs heavily on them, both psychologically and physically, creating a generation under immense pressure, lacking stable educational opportunities and living in a state of constant anxiety about their academic and professional futures in a world that shows no mercy to the weak and offers them no real chance to rise up.

The targeting of education in Gaza cannot be considered a mere side effect of war or an accidental consequence of crises. Rather, it is part of a systematic plan aimed at obliterating Palestinian national identity and stripping generations of their awareness, culture, and sense of belonging. This deliberate ignorance is not accidental but a tool of the occupation to keep Palestinian society in a state of perpetual weakness and fragmentation.

Therefore, the responsibility for saving education does not fall on any one entity alone; it is a shared national, humanitarian, and moral duty requiring concerted efforts from local and international institutions, civil society, and families to support students and teachers, rebuild schools, and provide a safe and stable learning environment. Every step in this direction represents a direct investment in the future of Palestine and a message of resilience in the face of attempts at cultural and intellectual annihilation.

The continuation of education is an act of resistance, a weapon in the battle for awareness, and a means of building a generation capable of transforming suffering into creativity, destruction into construction, and despair into hope. It is the true testament that, despite its wounds, Gaza will remain a beacon of knowledge and life.

~ Wattan News Agency ~