Palestinians and Their Educational Challenges

I believe we are all aware of the ongoing tragedy taking place in Palestine amidst the current Israel-Palestine conflict.

For many years, Israel has repeatedly infringed upon the right to education for Palestinians, with numerous incidents affecting the education sector. These incidents include attacks or threats of violence targeting schools, delays caused by checkpoints, the presence of the military at school entrances, designated military zones, the use of live ammunition and tear gas in and around schools, searches of school premises, confiscation of educational materials, detentions of both students and school staff, acts of violence related to settlers, and the demolition of schools with accompanying stop-work orders. Israel's actions have obstructed the development of the Palestinian education system. Surprisingly, Israel has not been held accountable for these violations of the Palestinian right to education or any other breaches.

These transgressions significantly contribute to the creation of obstacles for Palestinian education, rendering it challenging for them to attain high-quality education within a secure setting. Currently, the very thought of Palestinian children or parents considering school attendance is precluded due to circumstances beyond their control.

I believe it's reasonable to assert that the inequality in the education that Palestinian children receive, in comparison to children worldwide, is unfair. As an illustration, there's a video I came across on Instagram recently, where a father shares a heartbreaking story. In the video, the father talks about his son, who expressed his desire to save money for a bike and a phone. The father promised to fulfill his wishes if he performed well in his exams. Tragically, due to the ongoing conflict, the son lost his life. It's important to highlight that the child had aspirations of saving money for some personal items, while his father aspired for his son to achieve something greater with his education.

What is your guys' take on education in Palestine with the on going conflict?