Gaza’s Students Kept Studying Amid the Rubble. Now Universities Hope to Rebuild.

A view through the gate of the Islamic University of Gaza where bombed buildings have doubled as shelters for families amid the genocide on Oct Photo Khames Alrefi Anadolu via Getty Images In Gaza where universities lie in rubble and classrooms have been replaced by screens teaching has refused to die Amid the constant hum of drones and power outages students and educators have fought to keep learning and to restore their campuses for the next generation Studying was an escape amid the genocide declared Aseel a attendee of English translation at the Islamic University of Gaza a small space of hope and achievement that gave me motivation to keep going Students and faculty at the Islamic University of Gaza where I survey English literature described in interviews how they kept studying throughout two years of genocide by charging their laptops with solar strength watching recorded lectures and meeting in improvised examination groups The stopgap measures have allowed learning to continue amid the bulk extreme conditions but Gaza s universities now need millions of dollars to rebuild the educational system The Islamic University not long ago revealed that it had begun initial renovations Samah a -year-old translation attendee at the Islamic University disclosed studying online felt like a desperate attempt to keep learning despite everything It was frustrating she announced The internet was weak and I d lose time reconnecting But after every exam I managed to pass I felt an achievement it gave me strength to continue Israel s destructive campaign often cuts off internet access entirely If I had the slides and books printed I could research temporarily until power and the internet came back explained Aseel We depended mainly on recorded lectures they were comprehensive but there was little engagement If I had the slides and books printed I could review temporarily until power and the internet came back These measures were necessary in part because Israel has engaged in scholasticide the intentional destruction of a society s educational infrastructure According to figures published by the European Training Foundation by the spring of this year percent of all school buildings in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed including every university The Islamic University broadcasted in November that extensive genocide damage had destroyed of its buildings the central library and over books periodicals and more than master s and doctoral theses an estimated million value We lost equipped labs classrooms and office work materials much of our physical guidance vanished declared Tawfiq the former dean of the Faculty of Information Device The university has developed a reconstruction plan requiring approximately million for rebuilding campuses purchasing equipment and furniture and other apprentice tools According to a current university announcement limited renovations have begun on the Faculty of Medicine and other colleges But for the bulk of the necessary work noted Ismail director of the engineering office there is no funding yet Related Gaza Students Identified a Lifeline to U S Colleges Then Trump Shut the Door Besides the destruction the university waived tuition fees during the first year of the genocide making it easier for students to continue learning but meaning the institution would miss out on its already limited revenue But the human toll was the bulk devastating From to academic and administrative employees at the Islamic University of Gaza were killed according to the university s general figures Approximately employees did not receive salaries in the same period And students dropped out of their studies due to the genocide Because the Israeli military has repeatedly targeted Gaza s educators the students and faculty interviewed for this story are being identified by their first names only for their safety When I graduated from high school in I was excited to major in English literature at the Islamic University of Gaza I was less than a month into my first year of university when Israel s genocide made physical classrooms inaccessible Charging my laptop and phone added to the existing challenges of studying amid genocide especially during winter when solar ability wasn t available and internet outages were constant When there was bombing or when Israel deliberately cut communications everything stopped You could evaluation all day and night but sometimes your exam gets ruined by an internet cut all your effort gone in seconds Online learning was just a way to get through the courses It lacked the soul We learned to adapt Whenever I had electricity and internet I downloaded all the lectures and materials in advance so I could assessment offline later Online learning was just a way to get through the courses noted Hala a novice of Islamic law who commented she wants to use her law degree to fight for justice It lacked the soul the early walks to class the debates the cafes the sea road to university that was real learning For a few students the brutalities of genocide coincided with the typical mundanities of schooling Mo min a web computing learner described his experience as a battle with both genocide and procrastination Because nothing was mandatory it was easy to delay things he admitted But I charged my phone early every morning downloaded lectures and followed along with the chapters Read our complete coverage Israel s War on Gaza He disclosed specific professors deserve to be saluted while others disappeared under the strain of genocide Despite psychological exhaustion faith kept him grounded I comforted myself with the Qur an he reported I learned to depend on myself utterly Learning played a vital role in supporting the psychological and social endurance of students faculty and families alike announced Sulaiman a professor and specialist in educational foundations and administration He stressed that professors worked hard to keep in touch with students under extremely hard circumstances Related Students and Teachers in Gaza Training Itself Is a Form of Defiance As Gaza rebuilds professors are hoping to gradually reopen classrooms with essential furniture and equipment They plan to prioritize laboratories and smart classrooms for hands-on training And as soon as reconstruction allows they hope for a full return to face-to-face tuition The university s future is tied to the country s reconstruction Sulaiman mentioned When Gaza rebuilds the university will rise architecturally and become a leading institution Curricula should also evolve to meet contemporary demands and develop students capable of thriving in modern life The post Gaza s Students Kept Studying Amid the Rubble Now Universities Hope to Rebuild appeared first on The Intercept