"Education": The start of the academic year in the Gaza Strip with in-person and electronic education (Photos)

Ramallah - Afaq News - The Ministry of Education and Higher Education launched today, Saturday, the 2026/2027 academic year for students in the Gaza Strip, both inside and outside, amid exceptional circumstances imposed by the widespread destruction that has affected the Strip and the educational system during the genocide war.

More than 420,000 male and female students are heading to about 610 schools and educational centers affiliated with the ministry, in addition to nearly 100 schools and educational centers affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which include about 100,000 male and female students.

In-person education is being provided in the schools operating within the Strip according to a system of three shifts daily, for three days a week, allowing each school to provide education to six student groups in succession, in order to make the most of the available educational buildings.

In parallel, the ministry has launched electronic education through virtual schools for Gaza Strip students located outside the Strip, numbering about 20,000 male and female students, in addition to about 40,000 male and female students inside the Strip who are unable to reach in-person schools for various reasons.

As part of providing additional educational spaces, the ministry has so far received 25 temporary schools, while preparations continue to receive more temporary schools that are being set up.

The ministry is also working on launching the electronic school communication environment (eSchool) specific to the Gaza Strip in the coming days, along with launching a technical support website to facilitate communication with students, teachers, and schools, and to address technical and operational issues.

The ministry is keen to integrate students from the Gaza Strip into its plan for school activities, as students from the region will participate in the Arab Reading Challenge for the first time since the aggression on Gaza, affirming their right to learn and participate in educational and cultural life.

In support of students and to provide their educational needs, about 900,000 school bags have been introduced into the Gaza Strip, and efforts are underway to distribute a school bag to each student.

The specialized technical staff in the ministry continues to monitor the observations and difficulties reported from the Gaza Strip and works to provide the necessary solutions and treatments quickly, contributing to ensuring the continuity of the educational process and expanding access to education for all students.