University of Auckland's Gaza Education Resilience Project Documents Makeshift Teaching Amid Conflict

The Unprecedented Devastation of Gaza's Education Infrastructure

Gaza's education system has faced catastrophic destruction since the escalation of conflict on 7 October 2023, with nearly 90 percent of school buildings damaged or destroyed according to recent UNRWA reports.118119 This includes direct hits on over 76 percent of the territory's 564 schools, leaving more than 658,000 school-aged children without access to formal learning for multiple years.120 Universities have also been targeted in what UN experts term 'scholasticide,' wiping out higher education institutions essential for Palestinian knowledge production and future leadership.91

Tragically, over 700 teachers have been killed, alongside thousands of students, disrupting not just classrooms but entire communities' hopes for continuity and recovery.80 Many surviving schools now serve as shelters for displaced families, exacerbating the crisis amid ongoing bombardment, displacement, and humanitarian shortages of food, water, and safety.

• 90% of schools damaged or destroyed (UNRWA, 2026)
• 700+ teachers killed
• 658,000 children out of school
• All 12 major universities in Gaza rendered unusable

This backdrop underscores the urgency of documenting survival strategies, a task now undertaken by New Zealand's University of Auckland.

Palestinian Educators' Acts of Defiance: Makeshift Teaching Persists

Despite the ruins, Palestinian educators embody resilience, transforming tents, ruins, and open spaces into makeshift classrooms. Parents, volunteers, and surviving teachers gather children for lessons, prioritizing routine, psychosocial support, and exam preparation like the critical Tawjihi high school leaving certificate.60 These efforts provide safety, normalcy, and hope, countering trauma with structure.

Historical echoes abound: during the 1950s Nakba displacements, Palestinians erected tent schools to affirm identity and future claims. Today, this 'sumud'—Arabic for steadfastness—represents cultural resistance, where education symbolizes dignity, opportunity, and collective endurance against occupation and blockade.8184

UNICEF-supported temporary learning spaces further amplify these grassroots initiatives, delivering basic education amid rubble. Stories abound of teachers risking lives to teach, underscoring education's political dimension as refusal to erase Palestinian futures.69

University of Auckland Launches Gaza Education Resilience Documentation Project

The University of Auckland has initiated the Gaza Education Resilience Documentation (GERD) project, a 15-month study capturing the voices of approximately 200 educators who persisted in teaching post-7 October 2023. Funded by a US$75,000 grant from the Spencer Foundation, it highlights 'day-to-day acts of refusal and solidarity' in Gaza's survival narrative.80

Announced on 9 March 2026, the project responds to the erasure of educational spaces, aiming to produce a visual timeline of attacks on schools, teachers, and students while exploring education's role as resistance amid genocide.Read the full University of Auckland announcement.

This initiative positions UoA at the forefront of New Zealand's contributions to global education in emergencies research.

Project Leadership: Dr. Ritesh Shah and Team's Expertise

Dr. Ritesh Shah, Senior Lecturer in Comparative and International Education at UoA's Faculty of Education and Social Work, leads GERD. An expert in education amid conflict and crisis, Shah co-directs the Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies (CAPRS) and researches political economies of aid and inclusive schooling in emergencies.108

Teaming with PhD candidate Saleh Albalawi—a Palestinian whose work stems from personal ties—and Dr. Zeena Zakharia from the University of Maryland, the group brings interdisciplinary depth. Shah notes, 'Just turning up to teach is a political act of resistance and resilience.'80

Albalawi emphasizes sumud: 'Education represents hope and a better future,' making voices reach policymakers vital.

Core Objectives: Illuminating Education's Political Role in Crisis

GERD seeks to:

• Document educators' experiences, from teachers to volunteers and NGO staff
• Challenge 'neutral' education myths, revealing ethical choices in crises
• Map escalations via visual timeline for advocacy
• Share insights with INEE, Education International, and Protect Education from Attack campaign

By focusing on locally driven responses, it offers lessons for global conflict zones, reinforcing education's context-bound nature.80

Photo by Niranjan Lamichhane on Unsplash

Methodology: Ethical, Remote Data Collection

To ensure safety, GERD employs remote, anonymous methods coordinated with UNRWA and Gaza's Education Cluster. Step-by-step:

1. Partner outreach to educators via trusted networks
2. Anonymous surveys/interviews on experiences and motivations
3. Data aggregation for patterns in resilience strategies
4. Timeline construction using verified incident reports
5. Analysis framing education as sumud and resistance

This safeguards participants amid insecurity, prioritizing voices over access challenges.80

Funding, Partnerships, and Broader Impact

Beyond Spencer Foundation support, collaborations with UNRWA, Education Cluster, INEE amplify reach. Outputs will inform policy, recovery planning, and research worldwide.

For New Zealand, it bolsters UoA's global profile in humanitarian education, attracting talent to higher ed jobs in research and international development.

Sumud in Palestinian Education: A Historical Lens

Sumud, or steadfastness, roots in Palestinian resistance since the Nakba, manifesting in tent schools during displacements. It evolved as state strategy post-1967, emphasizing presence on land via education as dignity pathway.84 Today, amid blockade since 2007 and repeated wars, educators sustain this legacy, countering erasure.

Global Implications: Lessons for Conflict-Affected Education

GERD's findings extend to Ukraine, Sudan, offering models for psychosocial support, rapid-response learning, and policy advocacy. It challenges donor neutrality, urging ethical engagement.

In NZ context, it inspires research on refugee education via CAPRS, linking to careers in university jobs NZ.

Future Outlook: Rebuilding Gaza's Education Post-Conflict

Recovery demands massive investment: rebuilding schools, trauma support, teacher training. GERD aids by evidencing resilience, guiding equitable reconstruction. NZ's MFAT could expand such projects, fostering global solidarity.

Explore higher ed career advice for roles in international education research.

Photo by Gaurav Kumar on Unsplash

Engaging with Gaza Education Research: Opportunities Ahead

For academics, students, policymakers: GERD exemplifies NZ higher ed's humanitarian impact. Interested in contributing? Check rate my professor for experts like Dr. Shah, or browse higher ed jobs, career advice, and university jobs to join this vital field.