Sat Apr 19 13:05:36 UTC 2025: ## Gaza’s Education System Crumbles Under Siege: From Free Access to Elitism
**Gaza City, Palestine –** A once-thriving education system in Gaza, celebrated for its near-universal access and high literacy rates, has been decimated by the recent Israeli offensive, leaving education accessible only to the wealthy, according to a firsthand account.
Before the October 2023 offensive, Gaza boasted a 97% literacy rate and high enrollment in primary, secondary, and even higher education. Free primary and secondary schooling, coupled with government and UNRWA support for resources and scholarships, ensured equal opportunity for all Palestinian children. Even higher education, while offering both public and private options, included generous scholarships and loan programs to make it accessible to disadvantaged students.
However, the intense bombardment destroyed approximately 88% of Gaza’s schools and all universities. The ensuing displacement and destruction of infrastructure have created a stark new reality. While the Ministry of Education and universities attempted to salvage the academic year through online courses and makeshift tent schools, the lack of resources and ongoing instability has rendered these efforts insufficient.
The result is a two-tiered system. Private tutoring centers have emerged, charging exorbitant fees – $240 per month per student – making education unaffordable for most families. Even online learning, requiring devices and reliable internet access, presents insurmountable financial hurdles for many. This has forced numerous students to drop out, creating a widening gap between the affluent and the impoverished.
The author, a university student who was unable to complete their degree, paints a harrowing picture: children, once joyfully heading to school, now toil on the streets selling goods or begging for survival. Families make agonizing choices, prioritizing the education of some children over others, or sending older children to work to support the younger ones’ schooling. Many families have been forced to prioritize mere survival over education entirely.
This devastating shift is not merely an educational crisis; it’s a deliberate strategy, argues the author, aimed at creating an unequal society and potentially forcing Palestinians to leave their homeland. Despite this, the resilience of the Palestinian people, particularly the children, remains steadfast. Their refusal to abandon their land and their determination to rebuild underscores their unwavering commitment to their education and their homeland.
First Piper 