The harsh truth of school life for Palestinian children in the West Bank

A Disturbing Visit Amidst a Crisis

The Department of Education recently shared on X that Paul Givan, a representative of the government, visited a school in Jerusalem to "learn more about Israel’s innovative approaches to gifted education and inclusive learning." This visit, funded by and in support of a regime accused of committing genocide against children and repeatedly bombing schools in Gaza, is deeply troubling. The idea of discussing inclusive education alongside Israel's actions is staggering.

For Palestinian children, the situation is dire. The expansion of Israeli settlements and the rise in settler violence in the occupied West Bank have severely impacted their right to a safe and uninterrupted education. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), numerous incidents around schools—including clashes, tear-gas exposure, and live ammunition—have resulted in hundreds of injuries to students and staff, disrupting classes and forcing detours or cancellations.

In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, many schools face demolition or seizure due to difficulties in obtaining Israeli work permits. As a result, children are forced to study in tents or travel long distances to access education. One such example is the Arab al-Kaabheh School in the village of Al Mu’arrajat in the Jordan Valley. This school consists of metal containers arranged in a U-shape around a central courtyard. It is part of a humanitarian project funded by the EU and Irish Aid under the EU Humanitarian Support Programme, aimed at protecting Palestinians from forcible transfer.

A Harrowing Experience

In September last year, Israeli settlers from the illegal Zohar outpost nearby invaded the school during class time. They assaulted teachers and students with clubs and iron bars and tied up the principal, who was hospitalized. Afterward, they placed dolls spattered in red paint, resembling blood, at the entrance to the school. These dolls were later used again in another attack in January to adorn mock child graves outside the school.

The US State Department has sanctioned Zohar Sabah, the Israeli settler responsible for establishing the illegal outpost near the school, for his role in violence targeting civilians or in the destruction or dispossession of property. The State Department noted that Sabah had engaged in threats and acts of violence against Palestinians, including in their homes, and had participated in the attack on the school.

During our time at the school, my team and I spent a lot of time with the pupils and staff, providing a protective presence to try to discourage further settler attacks when the children were present. Due to previous attacks, workers were too afraid to come to the school, so we also did some maintenance work such as gardening and painting.

There was always time for a game of football or sitting with the children at break time, sharing juice and cookies while they laughed at my terrible Arabic pronunciation and learned the odd word of Irish.

Every time we were there, the familiar white pick-up belonging to the head of settlement security would come by the school several times, and a drone would fly overhead, filming. Twice, the Israeli military came and searched the school while we were there.

Two years ago, there were 50 families living in Al Mu’arrajat, but increasing settler violence saw that number dwindle to 20 by this summer. Then, in July, in an attack lasting two days, the remaining families were forced from their homes by settlers with the support of the Israeli military. The school was destroyed, computers and windows broken, the artificial grass football pitch torn up, graffiti sprayed on walls and doors.

The aftermath of the attack was reported by Channel 4 News, and it was heartbreaking to see the little school we had come to love, where we were welcomed on day one with steaming plates of Maqloubeh, destroyed and devoid of children.

The families of Al Mu’arrajat took successful legal action against the settlers who had stolen their homes and returned a few weeks later. However, the response of the settlers was to return with bulldozers and demolish the homes, forcing people inside to flee for their lives as roof beams and masonry fell around them.

Another Palestinian school has been destroyed, its pupils scattered to surrounding communities, living in tents or in the overcrowded homes of relatives. The classroom that should have been their safe space became the place of their nightmares.

The Psychological Toll

This environment of fear, marked by random attacks on students and teachers, impeded access to classrooms, and the looming threat of school closure, inflicts a profound psychological toll on children. They suffer from anxiety, trauma, disrupted concentration, and, ultimately, impaired academic performance.

The broader infrastructure of the expansion of illegal settlements, such as checkpoints, diverted roads, and segregated zones, similarly obstructs access to schooling and reinforces educational inequities. The cumulative effect is the erosion of not just the educational prospects of Palestinian children, but also their sense of safety, stability, and vision for the future.

In Bethlehem, Israeli forces fired tear gas at children on their way to school. In the Jordan Valley, teachers are frequently detained for hours at military checkpoints, delaying lessons and depriving children of their education.

The destruction of schools in several Palestinian villages is part of a broader pattern of displacement and restriction that undermines children’s right to learn. All of these acts were witnessed and reported on by our team in Palestine.

The minister would do well to confront the realities facing Palestinian children under occupation and he should be asked to clarify how actions such as the above align with commitments to inclusivity, human rights, and the protection of children in conflict zones.

Patricia MacBride spent three months in Palestine this year as a human rights monitor with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, established by the World Council of Churches to document human rights abuses.