The Scholasticide in Gaza: A Systematic Destruction of Literacy, Education and Learning by the Israeli Occupation
This article explores Scholasticide. What does it mean? How are the Gazan's experiencing it?
History of Education in a Palestinian Society
Throughout generations, literacy, and academic achievement has been highly valued in a Palestinian society. Around the globe, average literacy is around 86.3% in contrast Palestine is one of the most literate in the Arab world, with an adult literacy of 97% (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2020).
According to UNRWA (2023), before the 2023 attack in the Gaza Strip, more than 625 schools accommodated over 625,000 students. These educational institutes were used for more than just learning- they were essential spaces for community, development and psychological wellbeing during the ongoing blockade. However, this very commitment towards education is now under deliberate attack.
Current Deliberate Attack on the Education System
Since October 2023, Gaza has witnessed the total collapse of its education system. UNICEF (2024), estimates more than 80% of the schools in Gaza have been damaged by the Israeli force or are destroyed, and further have been bombed while displaced civilians sought shelter inside. An UN article in April 2024 highlighted that more than 5,479 students, 261 teachers and 95 University professors were killed in Gaza, as the Genocide in Gaza continues, the number of people killed is now likely to be higher. Further the article also highlight’s 7,819 students and 756 teachers have been injured, with a likelihood of a growing number each day (United Nations, 2024). Additionally, the UN experts emphasised over 60% of educational facilities, which includes 13 public libraries, have either been destroyed or are damaged. More than 195 heritage sites, 227 mosques, three churches have also been destroyed or damaged, these sites included Central Archives of Gaza, containing over 150 years of History (United Nations, 2024). Israa University, the last remaining University was also demolished by the Israeli Occupation on the 17th January 2024. The article stresses that these attacks on education are not isolated incidents, they are a presentation of a systematic pattern of violence, which specifically targets dismantling the foundation of the Palestinian society. This intentional effort to completely destroy the education system may be referred to as “scholasticide” (United Nations, 2024).
What is Scholasticide?
According to Nabulsi (2009), scholasticide refers to “the systematic destruction of education through the targeting of schools, universities, educators, and students during times of war or conflict” (Nabulsi, 2009). This is not just the physical destruction of institutions, but the deliberate dismantling of a people’s intellectual and cultural life, an erasure of their present and future.
Why Would Perpetrators Commit Scholasticide?
Perpetrators that hope to continue the colonisation of a land, may engage in scholasticide as a strategic tool to further their colonisation. For Palestinians education is a pillar of their national identity, critical thinking, and resistance. By destroying educational infrastructure, colonisers seek to disempower future generations, eradicate cultural continuity, and suppress any form of resistance to colonisation (Barakat & Milton, 2015). Scholasticide serves to psychologically demoralise a population and eliminate the leaders, scholars, and professionals who may play a part in rebuilding and resisting oppression. In cases like Bosnia and Iraq, educational institutions were specifically targeted during the war (UNESCO, 1996; UNESCO, 2003).
Furthermore, education brings social mobilisation and political consciousness. Studies show that educated populations are more likely to challenge injustice and advocate for rights (Bush & Saltarelli, 2000). Thus, targeting education is not only an assault on infrastructure but a calculated act to weaken civil society and cripple political agency. In the context of Gaza, the destruction of universities and schools silences a historically vocal and intellectually engaged society.
Under international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute, such actions may constitute as war crimes (ICRC, 1949; ICC, 1998). Education is not a luxury but a human right!
Conclusion
Scholasticide has been utilised in the past, particularly to psychologically demoralise a population, so they do not resist occupation and colonisation. The systematic attack on the students, teachers, educational system and education infrastructure in Gaza is an attack on a people’s future. As the international community watches this scholasticide unfold, it must act not only to stop the destruction, but to affirm the right of every child, student, teacher- to live, learn, to grow, and to contribute towards a positive future.
References
Al Jazeera. (2023, November 17). Israeli airstrikes destroy Islamic University of Gaza. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/17/israeli-airstrikes-destroy-islamic-university-of-gaza
Barakat, S., & Milton, S. (2015). Houses of wisdom matter: The responsibility to protect and rebuild higher education in the Arab world. Brookings Doha Center. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/houses-of-wisdom-matter-the-responsibility-to-protect-and-rebuild-higher-education-in-the-arab-world/
Bush, K. D., & Saltarelli, D. (2000). The two faces of education in ethnic conflict: Towards a peacebuilding education for children. UNICEF Innocenti Insight. https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/insight4.pdf
Human Rights Watch. (2021). Afghanistan: Taliban crackdown on education. https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/11/29/afghanistan-taliban-crackdown-education
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). (1949). Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949. https://ihl-databases.icrc.org
International Criminal Court (ICC). (1998). Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. https://www.icc-cpi.int/resource-library/Documents/RS-Eng.pdf
Nabulsi, K. (2009). Scholasticide in Gaza: Destruction of Palestinian educational infrastructure. University of Oxford, personal communication cited in academic discourse.
UNESCO. (1996). Education under attack in Bosnia and Herzegovina. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000106787
UNESCO. (2003). The impact of conflict on education in Iraq. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000139968
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2020). Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
UNICEF. (2024, January). Education under fire: Over 80% of Gaza schools damaged or destroyed. https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/education-under-fire-over-80-percent-schools-gaza-damaged-or-destroyed
United Nations. (2024, April 18). UN experts deeply concerned over “scholasticide” in Gaza. OHCHR. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/04/un-experts-deeply-concerned-over-scholasticide-gaza
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA). (2024). Gaza: Humanitarian impact situation reports. https://www.ochaopt.org
United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). (2023). UNRWA Education in Gaza. https://www.unrwa.org/what-we-do/education