Gaza parents confront high private school costs as tent schools lack resources

Families in the Gaza Strip are confronting a stark dilemma over their children's education as the conflict‑driven destruction of school infrastructure forces many to choose between attending makeshift tent classrooms and affording private tuition. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that more than 80 % of the remaining public schools operate out of temporary shelters with limited teaching materials, overcrowded conditions and intermittent electricity, while private institutions, though better equipped, charge fees that exceed the average household income in the enclave.

Humanitarian agencies say the financial strain is compounded by rising unemployment and the loss of livelihoods caused by the ongoing blockade, leaving parents to weigh the immediate safety and accessibility of tent schools against the long‑term academic benefits of private education. Aid groups continue to distribute school supplies and seek additional funding, but officials caution that without a sustained increase in resources, many children will remain caught between inadequate public provisions and unaffordable private options, potentially widening educational disparities in Gaza.