By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Haseeb and Alwazeer
CAIRO/Gaza Sept 21 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza returned to in-person teaching on Saturday for the first time in nearly three years, albeit in damaged or makeshift school buildings and tents, and with uniforms, notebooks and pens unaffordable for many families.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says 98% of schools in Gaza were either destroyed or damaged during the war, and Gaza education officials say about 660,000 students have been deprived of in-person learning and regular participation in education.
The reopening is a fragile milestone for Gaza after a conflict that has killed around 22,000 students and more than 770 education workers, including 532 teachers, according to Ibrahim Ramadan, director of education for East Khan Younis.
"The last time I have been to school was three years ago. Now, we are starting the school year, it is year of joy, happiness and success," said Moayed Abu Mustafa in Khan Younis.
Mustafa said he was determined to learn even though he will sit on the floor in a tent lacking ventilation, he has no decent shoes, nor a notebook and pen, and lost friends during the war.
"Despite all of this we will learn, we will learn even in a tent."
Fifteen-year-old displaced student Samar Abu Salmi, who lives with her family in a tent, is also returning to class.
"We studied on phones and we haven’t seen our teachers... now, we are back pursuing our dream... from one tent to another," she said, speaking in the yard of her new makeshift school.
She also lacks much of the essential equipment, which has become unaffordable for her family.
"Before the war, everything was available for us - notebooks, pens, goods, clothes, outings, things that we could get cheaply," Salmi said.
MATTRESSES AND A BLACKBOARD
Despite the devastation in the enclave, the Ministry of Education, backed by international and local organisations, has moved ahead with the 2026-27 academic year, establishing dozens of temporary schools made of tents, tarpaulins, sheet metal and wood to accommodate pupils.
Some are built on sandy ground, others have classrooms with only some mattresses and a blackboard, into which students cram. Others are still housing dozens of displaced families.
Attending another school was 14-year-old Yamen Abu Samra.
"We used to wake up happy to go to school... Now, when we come to school, we’re afraid of stray bullets, rockets, strikes, everything," he said.
"Now, I’m sitting in a tent that has absolutely nothing, just the sun and the heat," he added.
At least 540,000 students are expected to attend in-person classes this year in makeshift private schools, temporary learning centres and educational points, with UNICEF support, according to education officials. Online learning will continue for those who can't attend classes or who left Gaza during the war.
Israeli forces remain in control of more than 60% of Gaza despite last year's ceasefire, which halted major fighting but failed to end the conflict.
Palestinian authorities say more than 73,000 people have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel in October 2023.
Stationery trader Khaled Aliyan, 30, said Israeli import restrictions have reduced supplies and hiked prices.
"This notebook, which used to cost 3 shekels ($1), now costs 15 (shekels). All stationery items are expensive," he said.
Israel's COGAT military agency, which controls access to Gaza, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on restrictions on supplies and strikes on schools. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using schools for military purposes, which Hamas denies.
($1 = 3.0177 shekels)
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Haseeb Alwazeer; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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Facts Only
* Hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza returned to in-person teaching on Saturday for the first time in nearly three years.
* Reopening occurred in damaged or makeshift school buildings and tents, with some students having uniforms, notebooks, and pens unaffordable.
* The United Nations Children's Fund states that 98% of schools in Gaza were destroyed or damaged during the war.
* Gaza education officials state about 660,000 students have been deprived of in-person learning and regular participation in education.
* Ibrahim Ramadan, director of education for East Khan Younis, stated that the return to school is a year of joy, happiness, and success.
* Students reported lacking basic materials; one student noted learning in a tent without ventilation and lacking adequate shoes or supplies.
* The Ministry of Education established temporary schools using tents, tarpaulins, sheet metal, and wood for the 2026-27 academic year.
* At least 540,000 students are expected to attend in-person classes this year in makeshift schools and learning centers with UNICEF support.
* Israeli import restrictions have reportedly increased the cost of stationery items, with notebook prices rising from 3 shekels ($1) to 15 shekels.
* Israeli forces control more than 60% of Gaza despite a recent ceasefire.
Executive Summary
Hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza returned to in-person schooling for the first time in nearly three years on Saturday, despite learning in damaged or makeshift school buildings and tents. The United Nations Children's Fund estimates that 98% of schools in Gaza were destroyed or damaged during the war. Education officials report that approximately 660,000 students have been deprived of in-person learning and regular educational participation.
The reopening is characterized by significant hardship for students, who often lack essential materials like uniforms, notebooks, and pens due to unaffordability. Students reported facing difficult conditions, such as studying in tents lacking ventilation or lacking proper resources. While some expressed joy about resuming education, others highlighted the immediate struggle of learning amid displacement and material scarcity.
The educational infrastructure is rudimentary, with temporary schools built from materials like tents and sheet metal accommodating students. Online learning remains an option for those unable to attend classes. External factors complicate the situation, including restrictions on imports that have increased the cost of school supplies, and ongoing military control in the area.
Full Take
The narrative of the return to schooling illustrates a fundamental tension between institutional commitment and lived reality in conflict zones. The effort to reopen education represents a powerful assertion of human agency—the desire for learning persists even when physical and material conditions are catastrophic. However, the manner in which this reopening is framed—as a "year of joy" juxtaposed against students enduring severe deprivation—reveals how official narratives intersect with the material realities of displacement.
The shift from formal structures to makeshift environments underscores a systemic failure where educational continuity is achieved through improvised means rather than stable infrastructure. This points toward a pattern where humanitarian goals are pursued within constraints imposed by ongoing conflict and external political control, creating a space where dignity and education must be negotiated against immediate survival needs. The economic pressure reflected in the skyrocketing cost of basic supplies demonstrates that material scarcity is not merely an incidental hardship but a direct consequence of the conflict's impact on access and supply chains.
The persistence of online learning alongside in-person efforts acknowledges the need to balance physical presence with unavoidable operational limitations. The challenge lies in ensuring that "reopening" translates into genuine, equitable educational opportunities rather than simply a procedural milestone. The underlying implication is a critical question about who benefits from transitional education frameworks and what structural changes are necessary to ensure that these fragile milestones lead to sustainable recovery for the affected populations.
Bridge Questions: What mechanisms can be established to ensure that improvised educational settings meet minimum standards of safety and quality, regardless of material constraints? How does the dependency on international support factor into defining the success or failure of this educational return? What long-term strategies are necessary to decouple access to basic necessities from ongoing geopolitical instability in the region?
Sentinel — Human
The text reads like standard journalistic reportage, skillfully weaving official statistics with deeply personal testimonies to illustrate a complex humanitarian situation.