Israel's war on Gaza has upended the education of thousands of students. Due to the war, 37,698 students who have been displaced from their schools, most living in tent cities, will take their high school graduation (Tawjihi) exams electronically this weekend.
The struggle to study in tents
Students are struggling to meet basic needs for the exam, such as finding a charged phone, a stable internet connection, and a quiet place. Noise in the tent cities, the frequent necessity to relocate, and internet outages make studying nearly impossible.
Ghanem Abu Diqqa, a student staying in a tent city in southern Gaza, said, "There is neither peace nor concentration in the camp. We are dealing with children's voices, frequent relocations, and internet cuts."
Abu Diqqa added, "Before the war, I used to study in my room at my own desk. Today, I am shuttling between places with stable internet connections just to be able to take the exams."
Long distances and technical problems
Another student, Maya Abu Mustafa, is facing similar difficulties. Abu Mustafa said she has had to travel long distances to attend classes or reach places with internet access, and also battles phone charging and extreme heat in the tents.
"We wished to take the exams in schools, so that every student could get their right without worrying about internet cuts or technical problems," said Abu Mustafa, emphasizing that the current conditions are extremely challenging.
Decision for electronic exams
The Palestinian Ministry of Education has adopted an electronic home-exam system for students in Gaza due to the destruction and the conversion of many schools into temporary shelters. The exams will be conducted entirely online via the 'Wise School' software.
Ibrahim Ramadan, Director of Education for East Khan Younis, stated that the ministry evaluated various alternatives in light of the current conditions and capabilities before making the decision. Ramadan added that technical teams have held informational meetings for students on registration and online application mechanisms and are working to resolve technical problems encountered during the registration phase.
Widespread destruction
According to a report published by UNICEF last November, over 97% of schools in Gaza have been damaged or completely destroyed.
Data from the Palestinian Ministry of Education indicates that approximately 300 public schools have been completely destroyed or rendered unusable. Most of the remaining schools have been converted into shelters for displaced people and cannot provide educational services.
Exam participation numbers
The Palestinian Ministry of Education announced that 51,499 students in the West Bank and 37,698 in Gaza will take the high school graduation exams this year. Additionally, 1,941 students who managed to leave Gaza and are dispersed across 46 countries will also take the exam.
Ministry spokesman Sadiq al-Khudour announced that 65 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons will also take this year's exams.
