Multicolored posters, white streamers and Palestinian flags made of paper decorate a tent in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. School rucksack

‘We no longer study.’ Gaza’s children lose out on school, as Israel’s war disrupts a year of education

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2024-09-16 05:00:38

Multicolored posters, white streamers and Palestinian flags made of paper decorate a tent in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. School rucksacks stuffed with clothes, small pillows and floral blankets are strewn on the floor.

More than a dozen girls and boys sit cross-legged inside a makeshift classroom along the coastal region. Their eyes dart across a large whiteboard as they recite after their teacher, Oula Al Ghoul, who gently encourages her students. The sound of Israeli drones buzzes overhead – a stark reminder of the fighting that has engulfed the strip for more than 11 months.

“We have war, no schools… Yet the children are eager to learn,” Al Ghoul told CNN. She decided to set up a rudimentary classroom in the same tent in which she’s living, just to give some first-graders a chance to study.

“Even the parents come and ask about their children’s progress in writing, asking if they are improving.”