Feature: Schools without walls -- Gaza's quest for learning amid ruins of war-Xinhua

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Feature: Schools without walls -- Gaza's quest for learning amid ruins of war

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2025-10-22 22:44:00

GAZA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- On a dusty patch of land in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, a worn-out canvas canopy offers scant protection from the autumn sun. Below it, dozens of girls sit on the ground, their notebooks resting on knees, their eyes fixed on a small blackboard hanging from a metal pole.

There are no desks, no walls, no electricity -- only sand, heat, and determination.

"The school has no chairs or tents. We sit on the sand and suffer," tenth-grader Alaa Abu Ali told Xinhua, brushing dust from her notebook. "In winter we get drenched in rain, and in summer we sit outside because the tents become too hot."

She is one of about 50 students sharing a single tent at the Al-Anwar Educational Charitable School, one of many makeshift learning spaces emerging across Gaza since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10. Here, education has become an act of resilience.

"We sit without desks or even a proper blackboard," said Hiba al-Attar, another student. "We are about 50-100 in a small tent. The heat is unbearable, and the space is very cramped. Where are the humanitarian organizations?"

Their words reflect a broader crisis. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Ministry of Education said Tuesday that 19,910 students in Gaza have been killed and 30,097 others injured since Oct. 7, 2023. In addition, 179 government schools and 63 university buildings have been completely destroyed, while 118 government schools and over 100 UN-run schools were bombed or vandalized.

Meanwhile, according to Gaza-based education authorities, more than 80 percent of schools in the enclave have been damaged or destroyed. International organizations estimate that more than half a million students now lack a safe or suitable learning environment.

When about 20 teachers in Khan Younis decided to open the charitable school through volunteer efforts, they expected a few hundred students. But very soon, they faced thousands.

"We established the school through personal efforts in response to the destruction caused by the war, but we were surprised by the large number of students who joined," principal Nisreen Al-Saqa told Xinhua.

"The actual number has reached 2,000, yet we don't have enough tents or seating. The blackboards are small and not sufficient for proper teaching," she said.

"Many destroyed schools in southern Gaza are being replaced by temporary educational tents provided by local and international organizations, but these shelters do not meet even the minimum standards of safety or comfort," said teacher Salah Abu Sharakh.

The conditions are taking a physical toll. Students sit on the ground for hours in overcrowded tents, leading to outbreaks of skin diseases and influenza. Clean water is scarce, toilets are inadequate, and basic educational materials such as pens, notebooks, and bags are luxuries few can afford.

Yet every morning, the tents fill again. As Al-Saqa observed: "Our students always say, 'We want to study to change our future.'"

For many students, education has become more than learning: It is resistance. Hanin, clutching a worn-out notebook, told Xinhua: "We suffer from cramped classrooms and overcrowding, but we study to achieve our dreams. We don't have money to buy notebooks or pens; even a small notebook costs 10 shekels. Still, we continue."

Teacher Laila Hasham told Xinhua that as a dedicated team, they are "trying to continue despite the severe shortage of tents, chairs, tables, and even clean water in the toilets."

"We continue to teach and encourage children to attend classes despite all difficulties," she said.

In the dust and heat, the school administration has managed to source a few blackboards through local donations and built desks from recycled wood. It is not enough, but it is a start.

"Despite all these hardships, their (the students') determination to learn remains strong," said Sharakh. "We appeal to all humanitarian organizations to hear the voices of Gaza's children ... Education is the only hope left for them after the war."