Ayman Qwaider, EENET’s Arabic/MENA Network Manager.
Scale of destruction
The genocidal war in Gaza has left no aspect of life untouched. One of the most devastating impacts is on the education system and, consequently, on the future of Gaza. The damage being inflicted will have profound and long-lasting effects on the current and future generations in Gaza. While much has been written about the overall impact of the war, the systematic destruction of Gaza’s education sector deserves particular attention.
Schools, both public and those operated by the United Nations, have been reduced to rubble. Universities, which once served as the backbone of higher education in Gaza, lie in ruins. The very institutions where generations of teachers were trained have been obliterated. Alongside the destruction of formal education facilities, community education centres, art centres, and archives – essential components of cultural and educational life – have also been destroyed. Many of these learning spaces have been converted into shelters for displaced families, underscoring the sheer scale of devastation.
This is not merely the destruction of buildings; it is the dismantling of an entire educational infrastructure. Teachers have been killed, their families displaced, and their schools and universities destroyed. Every household in Gaza has been touched by loss, through the death, disappearance, or separation of loved ones. The images of bombed homes, displaced families, and the daily struggle for survival have dominated social media for months, revealing only a fraction of the suffering that continues unabated.
One cannot overstate the impact of this destruction on education and learning. The cumulative trauma, suffering, and memories of violence experienced by an entire generation are staggering. The children of Gaza, exposed to unprecedented levels of violence and abuse daily, face a future where education is inextricably linked to their trauma.
What happens next?
The question now is: What will education/learning look like in Gaza after this? How can learning continue amid such accumulated trauma and suffering? The psychosocial trauma inflicted on Gaza’s children, teachers, and families has been accumulating over the last 17 years, exacerbated by the continuous Israeli blockade and repeated military assaults. This current unprecedented violence only adds another layer of pain and suffering.
To address these challenges, psychosocial support must be integrated into any educational interventions. Every person in Gaza will need such support, and this must be sustained over a long period. Schools and curricula will need to be re-engineered to meet the needs of these traumatized learners. The curriculum must be informed by the experiences of those who have lived through this trauma, and teaching pedagogy must evolve to capture and address the stories of these children.
Educators themselves will need significant support – socially, culturally, and psychologically – to process and share their experiences. It is vital that they have the space to tell their stories, not just for their own healing but also to inform the world of the realities of life in Gaza. No one should endure genocide without the opportunity to bear witness, and the stories of Gaza’s educators and students are essential for understanding the true cost of this conflict.
The loss of an entire year of education in Gaza is unprecedented. For the first time since 1948, Palestinian students in Gaza were unable to complete their higher education exams, and children were deprived of the opportunity to pursue their dreams. The destruction of Gaza’s education system is not just a loss for the present generation but a profound threat to the future of the entire region. The rebuilding of this system will require more than just physical reconstruction; it will require a reimagining of what education can and should be in the context of ongoing trauma and adversity.
Learning about and from genocide
When talking to friends and colleagues in Gaza, a common sentiment arises: there is much written about genocide, yet not enough is done to integrate this harrowing reality into education. They argue that the experience of genocide should not be relegated to history books alone but must be a vivid memory in the minds of education policymakers. It is crucial that education policies reflect the need to address the impact of genocide, and this should be an integral part of the curriculum.
Incorporating the realities of genocide into the curriculum is not merely about recounting the past but about raising awareness and fostering resilience in the present. It is about ensuring that the next generation understands the gravity of such atrocities and is equipped to recognise and respond to the early signs of genocidal actions in the future. For the children of Gaza, who have lived through a genocide, this is not a distant lesson from history but a lived experience. Integrating this into their education could play a vital role in healing and empowerment. Indeed, all parties, locally and globally, need to integrate genocide education into their curricula if we are to prevent such horrors from occurring again.
Educational genocide is part of a broader genocide targeting human life itself. Education’s mission is to uphold human life as the ultimate goal. In Gaza, resilience, or Sumoud, is not just a concept but a lived reality. The people of Gaza demonstrate social solidarity by supporting one another despite unimaginable circumstances. Conventional education is insufficient; it must evolve into learning through life and daily challenges. The future of education in Gaza requires transformation, moving beyond formal schooling to seek opportunities in adversity. This educational endeavour is not just a duty but a form of resistance against a comprehensive genocide that seeks to erase existence and identity.
The hope is that embedding the lessons of genocide into the curriculum will not only educate but also serve as a powerful reminder to the global community. It can be a tool to ensure that such atrocities are not forgotten and do not go unchecked when they occur. Education has the potential to be a safeguard, raising awareness about the devastating impact of genocide and fostering a commitment to preventing it in the future.
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