The conflict has interrupted the schooling of children in the Gaza Strip. In the tent camps of Khan Younis and Deir Bara, local teachers have launched a volunteer effort to teach and educate the children in makeshift classrooms set up in tents.
In the camps, volunteers converted tents into makeshift classrooms filled with Palestinian children. The school teacher said that the children are very excited to be able to go to school, because instead of suffering from fear in the tent, it is better to calm down and learn with other children.
School Teacher: The Palestinian people went through a very difficult time during the conflict, and we set up these tent schools, and of course the students are also from the tent camps, and the parents and students have a lot of interest in the lessons, and the students are very excited. Of course, we know that there is a gap between students and the courses they are taking, especially since students have not received any education for seven months.
Asma, School Teacher: We start school today (28th) and we will finish teaching, and the students will enter the next school year after receiving their education, instead of letting them play in the streets, in tents, or in tents that are frightened, unable to speak or write, afraid of the sound of bombing, it is better for us to bring them here, accompany them, and educate them.
Ten-year-old Riad said he was determined to study hard and use his knowledge to build his country in the future.
Riad, student at the school: We lost a whole school year, we have to continue our studies in a tent, living in a tent is not a problem, in the future we have to build a country with the knowledge we have learned.
UNICEF previously released a report pointing out that since the outbreak of the current round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel's heavy bombardment of the Gaza Strip has "directly hit" 212 schools. More than half of UNRWA's schools in the area were attacked. Since the outbreak of the conflict, no normal teaching activities have been carried out in the Gaza Strip.
The head of the tent school said that even war cannot deprive Palestinians of their right to education.
Leila, Head of Tent School: The Gaza Strip has experienced many challenges, but nothing can stop us from the cause of education, today students have the right to complete their education, no one has the right to use conflict as an excuse to deprive others of their right to education, conflict is never an excuse.