Private schools become a costly choice for struggling parents in Gaza

In Deir el-Balah, parents are making difficult choices about their children’s schooling amid widespread displacement and damage to Gaza’s education infrastructure. Khadija Abu Qados prepares her 11-year-old daughter to attend classes run from tents near her family’s displacement camp after their home in Sheikh Radwan was destroyed during last September’s offensive in Gaza City. The makeshift classrooms lack basic furniture and cooling, and pupils often study sitting on mattresses or carpets.

With formal schooling disrupted since the onset of the war in October 2023, many families have turned to temporary learning spaces organised by teachers and community volunteers. Elyaa’ School, launched in January under the supervision of the Education Ministry, has enrolled over 1,100 students but operates with roughly 40 volunteers and limited supplies. Staff at the school say essentials such as tables, chairs and blackboards are in poor condition and that teachers and administrators sometimes buy stationery for pupils who arrive without it.

The broader scale of the education crisis is severe: UNICEF estimates that around 700,000 children between four and 17 missed face-to-face schooling for nearly three consecutive school years, and only two percent of school buildings remained undamaged, with 93 percent needing major repairs or reconstruction. Reports also cite that about 420,000 children had no access to in-person learning, while air raids continue to pose a threat to students and staff.

For a minority of families, private schools offer more regular routines and classroom environments, but the cost is a major barrier. Parents such as 25-year-old Zahra Saleh enrolled her young sons in a private school after finding most options unaffordable; monthly fees at private institutions run far higher than volunteer centres, with one family paying about 400 shekels ($131) per month. Many households, where breadwinners are unemployed, say they take on work at schools or accept reduced rates to cover fees, yet food, water and other basic needs often take priority over education expenses.

Faced with damaged public infrastructure and the expense of private tuition, parents and teachers continue to keep makeshift classrooms running so children can have some continuity of learning and a place away from the pressures of displacement. But volunteers and principals warn that without additional resources and reconstruction, tent schools will struggle to meet demand or provide a stable educational environment for the large numbers of displaced children.