The impact of war on education: The plight of Gaza’s children!

Islam en Murcia - 26.03.24

Mahgan Farhang

Social activist for children and women

Drawing by 6-year-old Menna from Gaza who describes it: “A sad scene where a poor child was sleeping on a bed in the street with no shelter. Suddenly, a fighter aircraft appeared in a sky already filled with people who had become stars. Rockets began falling, and the child lost his life, joining the stars above”. UNRWA. 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, penned shortly after World War II, enshrines the right to education without prejudice. Nevertheless, in times of humanitarian crisis, this right often faces infringement or outright disregard, particularly in conflict-ridden nations. The deprivation of education resulting from conflict can lead to dire consequences, given that education plays a pivotal role in nurturing lasting peace.

Children in conflict-affected countries complete primary education less frequently than children in non-conflict-affected countries. There are also challenges regarding education for refugee children, and not all children can benefit from schooling; they face various difficulties. In poor countries and those affected by conflict and disruption, many children lag in education. 

The gap in education, for whatever reason, poses difficult and uncertain conditions for future generations. Wars and conflicts represent the harshest of these conditions. Illiterate children lay the foundation for a society that can serve the interests of warmongers, as poverty leads to intellectual deprivation. In such societies, reverting to previous social forms would be extremely challenging, which is why wars don’t just entail physical destruction. The destruction of the most fundamental pillar of a country’s progress is the greatest harm, and reverting to the past becomes even harder.

Attacks on schools and the harm to children

There are specific provisions in international humanitarian law and rules of war that prohibit attacks on schools and require combatants to minimize the impact of violence on children. However, are these provisions adhered to in wars? This is while both sides are not equally equipped in the Gaza conflict.

There was no defense for ordinary people against Israeli army attacks and airstrikes. Thus, schools could become unsafe places due to being the gathering place for many children. Despite this, going to school has become an even riskier endeavor in recent years.

The education status of girls and boys in wars

Apart from attacks on girls’ schools, which are part of the destruction and negative effects of wars, even if they are not targeted, girls may lose their education due to conflict, loss of limbs, loss of family, displacement, and so on. 

Sometimes they are kept at home for security, as in many wars, girls are subject to abuse, forced into marriage as a tool of resistance, or forced to help support their familys economy or during displacement. Wars have the most negative impact on children and women.

Young men in late (or even early) adolescence often face the existential threat of being conscripted into military service or coerced into joining the national army or insurgent groups. Or they may leave their education to work to support their family’s economy or support family members or displaced persons, while they may also be subjected to various abuses in this way.

These issues exist in all wars and conflicts, and Gaza’s children also feel these woes, and their effects on their future are evident.