SAFA - The Joint Committee for Refugees in the Gaza Strip has called for an urgent plan to gradually restore in-person education, warning that the prolonged disruption of schooling threatens the future of hundreds of thousands of students following years of educational loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Israeli genocide.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the committee described the return to classroom learning as a “national and humanitarian necessity” that can no longer be postponed, stressing that restoring face-to-face education is essential to rebuilding the educational process and strengthening the direct relationship between teachers and students.

The committee said schools also play a vital role in providing educational, psychological, and social support, arguing that these functions cannot be fully replaced through alternative learning methods.

It emphasized that limiting education to basic skills or a small number of subjects cannot serve as a permanent substitute for formal schooling. According to the committee, such measures were temporary solutions imposed by exceptional circumstances, making it necessary to adopt a clear plan for the full restoration of the Palestinian curriculum while addressing the extensive learning losses accumulated over recent years.

The committee called for the establishment of large, safe learning centers across the Gaza Strip under joint supervision and coordination between the Ministry of Education and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). 

It said such coordination would help unify efforts, maximize available resources, and provide suitable educational environments for the largest possible number of students. It further stressed that the success of a gradual return to classroom education depends on genuine partnership between the Ministry of Education and UNRWA to develop a practical, phased plan for resuming studies, while taking into account conditions on the ground and the needs of both students and teachers.

Reaffirming its support for UNRWA, the committee described the agency as the international body responsible for providing services to Palestine refugees and as a key international witness to their rights. It urged the agency to continue fulfilling its educational and humanitarian responsibilities without reduction.

The committee also appealed to both UNRWA and the Ministry of Education to take immediate practical steps toward launching a joint plan to rescue the current academic year. It said protecting students’ right to education is both a national and international responsibility, adding that investing in education is an investment in the resilience of Palestinian society and the future of coming generations.