Private schools become a costly choice for struggling parents in Gaza

What the report says

Gaza families are weighing whether to send children to under-resourced temporary schools or pay for private education as the new school year begins. In a feature from Deir el-Balah and Gaza City, Al Jazeera describes how displaced parents are trying to keep children learning while living in tents, facing frequent air raids, shortages of basics and a severe economic crisis.

The report focuses on families such as Khadija Abu Qados, whose children study in tent classrooms at a volunteer-run school near their displacement camp, and Zahra Saleh, who enrolled her sons in a private school because she wants them to resume a more regular school routine. Both parents said schooling costs are difficult to manage because food, water and other necessities take priority. Al Jazeera said private school fees can reach 400 shekels a month, while even lower-cost volunteer schools charge amounts many families still struggle to pay.

The story also highlights the broader collapse of Gaza’s education system after nearly three years of war. According to the article, many school buildings are damaged or unusable, hundreds of thousands of children have missed in-person schooling, and volunteer teachers have filled some gaps by opening tent-based “field schools.” The piece notes that schools often lack desks, air conditioning, stationery and other essentials.

Al Jazeera said the situation reflects wider economic breakdown in Gaza, with high unemployment and major reconstruction needs. The article’s central point is that education has become both a survival issue and a financial burden for families trying to maintain some normalcy amid displacement and war.