Gaza’s learning spaces reopen, but the funding gap remains

News update · Gaza · New academic year began 19 September 2026

The new school year in Gaza began on 19 September with children returning to classrooms and temporary learning spaces under severe constraints. In its situation report covering 25 September, UN humanitarian office OCHA recorded about 495,000 preschool and school-aged children enrolled in learning spaces supported by the UN and its partners. It also estimated that around 200,000 children still had no structured learning. The report was published on 28 September.

More than a place to study

UNICEF’s Back to Learning programme, launched with partners including the Palestinian Ministry of Education, combines core learning with activities intended to support children’s wellbeing. Its January 2026 account explains how repeated displacement disrupts friendships and routines, and how face-to-face learning can restore some continuity. UNICEF’s programme account describes the earlier phase, rather than the September enrolment total.

The two reports offer different snapshots. Comparing them responsibly means paying attention to dates, age groups and whether a figure describes a target or children already reached. They should not be treated as a single, directly comparable time series.

The progress remains fragile

OCHA reported that only 13 per cent of the education funding requested in the 2026 humanitarian appeal had been received, putting support for 687 operational temporary learning spaces at risk. Partners had cleaned classrooms, cleared rubble and distributed supplies, but substantial needs remained.

Enrolment is encouraging; it is not evidence that every child can attend regularly, that damaged schools are fully rebuilt or that learning conditions are adequate. Sustained access, teacher support and predictable funding will determine whether the return lasts.

Support that protects a future

This is a story about Palestinian children’s right to learn and the people making that possible. The next meaningful milestones are fewer children excluded, more reliable attendance and learning spaces that can stay open through the coming months. Those measures matter more than a single reopening photograph.