Palestinian Children Begin Another School Year with Hope and Fear

Occupied Palestinian Territory – The Palestinian children in Gaza and West Bank started their new school year with mixed feelings of happiness, joy, worry, anxiety loss, sorry and suffering. The beginning of school year has not been a moment of excitement and celebration while it has become a reminder of clear violation of right of Palestinian children to education.

Back to school should mean new books, new classrooms, friends, new uniforms, new stationery, laughter and dreams for the year ahead. These meanings have been changed in Palestinian context where going back to school has become a reminder of how deeply war, displacement, settler’s violence, occupation and destruction have disrupted children’s lives and their right to education.

In Gaza, Palestinian children do not have ordinary “back to school” as many of them have lost their family members, homes, schools and the routines that once gave structure to their days. Classrooms have been damaged or destroyed. Families have been displaced repeatedly. Children and their parents are struggling to find uniforms, books and stationery to start their journey of learning. Some children are caring for their siblings after loss of parents instead of preparing schoolbags. 

Palestinian children recall days before war when they were usually asked at beginning of the new school year: “Are you ready for school?”, but this question has been changed and children started asking: “where are our schools? Will it be safe for us to go to our schools?

The reality of education and schools in the West Bank is extremely difficult where children face movement restrictions, checkpoints, settler violence, military operations, demolitions and the threat of displacement. These conditions turn the journey to school into a daily source of fear and uncertainty. The road to their classroom is not a simple walk. It can mean passing through checkpoints, navigating road closures or living with the fear of violence. For children in communities facing displacement and restricted access to services, even reaching a school can become a struggle.

Access to education for Palestinian children means allowing them to dream of becoming doctors, teachers, pilots and enjoying better future and creating spaces where children can learn, play, express themselves. Education for Palestinian children is more than new books or classrooms, it means peace, dignity, opportunity and hope.

That is why protecting the right to education is not optional. It is a responsibility.  At ActionAid Palestine, we stand with children, families, teachers, women and communities working to keep education and hope alive. We continue to call for the protection of education, the protection of civilians, and a future in which every Palestinian child can learn without fear.

About ActionAid International  

ActionAid International is a global federation working with over 41 million people living in more than 72 of the world's poorest countries. We envision a world characterized by justice and sustainability, where every individual has the right to a dignified life and freedom, and a world free from poverty and oppression. We strive to achieve social justice, gender equality, and eradicate poverty.  

ActionAid Palestine began its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, believing in their right to enjoy freedom, justice, and self-determination. ActionAid Palestine implements several programs through its engagement with Palestinian communities and youth and women’s groups, aiming to empower women and youth and enhance their active civil and political participation to understand their rights and undertake collective action to address the rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation, in addition to improving their leadership capacity and practicing their citizenship in holding authorities and other duty bearers accountable. 

For more information, please contact:  

Riham Jafari   

Communication and Advocacy Officer at ActionAid Palestine   

Email: Riham.Jafari@actionaid.org