Palestinian Teacher Educates Displaced Children in Tent Classroom
Since the start of the war in Gaza, Israeli attacks have left the people of the blockaded Gaza Strip deprived of their most basic rights. Among these rights is the right to education. However, in the city of Rafah, one teacher is trying to change that.
Teacher Tariq al-Naami, who lives in Rafah, has turned a tent into a classroom to ensure that children can continue their education despite the ongoing war. Many Palestinian children have been forced to leave their homes and take refuge in Rafah, and by attending classes in the makeshift classroom, they are able to momentarily escape the destructive effects of the war.
Prior to the war, al-Naami was a teacher at a school in Zeytun District, but the school was destroyed in the Israeli attacks. To create a safe and peaceful environment for the children, he established the educational tent. “We wanted to gather the students in this tent and save them from the war environment. We tried to make a classroom. We brought wooden boards for the children so they could write on them,” he said.
The students have responded positively to the makeshift classroom, expressing their desire to continue their education despite the ongoing conflict. One 10-year-old Palestinian girl, Islam Aziz al-Omer, spoke about the importance of education: “I signed up as soon as I heard that teacher Tariq would give lessons. I know that education is very valuable to me. I will grow up and want to be a doctor, an engineer and realize my dreams.”
Unfortunately, schools in the region have closed since the start of the war, with many being used as shelters for displaced Palestinians. However, al-Naami’s initiative to provide education in a time of war demonstrates that despite the challenges, the right to education is still important to the people of Gaza. The teachers and students of Gaza continue to hope for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the ongoing conflict.
