More than two years of conflict in Gaza has seen its education system destroyed completely.
UNESCO has assessed what is left of educational institutions in Gaza and the findings are stark. Over 97% of schools have been damaged or destroyed and almost 92% of all education facilities need full reconstruction or major repair.
In higher education, the findings are equally devastating, with 95% of campuses affected. Of the 206 buildings surveyed, 195 have been either destroyed or so severely damaged that they are no longer operational.
Against this backdrop, the practicalities of getting young people educated are extremely daunting. The majority of of Gaza’s 658,000 school-age children have had extremely limited face-to-face learning for more than two academic years.
UNICEF learning centres
To try to keep education going, UNICEF has established 78 non-formal learning centres in the region. These support more than 109,000 children (54% of them girls) for three-hour sessions, three days a week. The demand for them is high but suitable spaces are limited, with many areas needing to be cleared of rubble and other hazards before learning can even begin.
These sessions provide much-needed education, but resources are scarce because the current priority, quite rightly, is to get humanitarian aid to the population.
Providing hope
Both UNICEF and UNESCO believe that rebuilding the education sector in Gaza is vital, not just to ensure the population receives the education that has been missing over the past two years, but also to provide a symbol of hope for the future. UNESCO emphasises that higher education must be part of any recovery plan due to the positive contribution it can make to the region, symbolising recovery and economic growth.
In the face of overwhelming destruction, the international community’s response will help to shape not just the physical reconstruction of Gaza’s schools and universities, but also its young people’s futures.
References
- UNESCO presents the Assessment of Damage and Reconstruction Needs for Higher Education Institutions in Gaza. Available at: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-presents-assessment-damage-and-reconstruction-needs-higher-education-institutions-gaza?hub=701 (Accessed 19 November 2025)
- After Two Years of War: Gaza’s Education System on the Brink of Collapse. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/sop/stories/after-two-years-war-gazas-education-system-brink-collapse (Accessed 19 November 2025)
