Gaza's School Year Opens in Tents: 541,000 Students Return
Per the Palestinian Ministry of Education, about 541,000 students returned to education on 19 September 2026. UNICEF says ~98% of school buildings are damaged; most learning is in tents and damaged classrooms.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Gaza's new school year began on 19 September 2026, with about 541,000 students returning to education. This followed a reduction — but not an end — in violence after the October 2025 ceasefire; Al Jazeera reported two students killed in early September 2026.
A three-year education crisis
Per UNICEF, about 700,000 children aged 4–17 missed formal schooling for nearly three years; roughly 420,000 had no face-to-face learning at all since October 2023. About 98% of school buildings have been damaged, and more than 93% require major rehabilitation or full reconstruction.
Classrooms in tents
With most buildings unusable, learning is largely in tents and partially damaged schools, some still sheltering displaced families. According to Tawfiq al-Hourani, head of UNRWA's education programme, the agency had 182 fully equipped schools three years ago; more than 95% are now lost or unusable, and over 280,000 children now learn in UNRWA schools and educational tents.
A teacher's hope
I hope the schools will be emptied of displaced families and returned to these students. These students are our children.
— Nesma Nahid Abu Asim, mathematics teacher, Gaza (Al Jazeera, 20 September 2026)
The human cost
According to OCHA (as of 1 October 2025), 18,069 students and 780 education workers had been killed during the war, and 26,391 students and 3,211 teachers injured. These figures come from Palestinian authorities and UN agencies; Israel disputes some Gaza-sourced figures and says its strikes target militant infrastructure.
An important note
The 541,000 “return” figure reflects current enrolment, while UNICEF's 700,000 reflects cumulative learning loss over three years — they are different measures, not contradictory. Enrolment is attributed to the Ministry of Education; infrastructure and out-of-school figures to UNICEF, UNRWA and OCHA.
By the numbers
- Returned (19 Sep 2026): ~541,000 — Ministry of Education
- Out of school for 3 years: ~700,000 — UNICEF
- No face-to-face learning since 2023: ~420,000 — UNICEF
- School buildings damaged: ~98% — UNICEF
- UNRWA schools (3 years ago): 182; now >95% lost/unusable
- In UNRWA schools and tents: >280,000 children
- Killed (OCHA, 1 Oct 2025): 18,069 students, 780 education workers
- Injured: 26,391 students, 3,211 teachers
