Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) Issues a Press Release on the Impact of the Israeli Occupation Aggression on the Right to Education in Palestine during the 07/10/2023 - 11/11/2023

5 martyrs out of every thousand students enrolled in Gaza Strip schools

The number of martyrs among students enrolled in schools in Palestine reached 3,141 martyrs (3,117 martyrs in Gaza Strip and 24 martyrs in the West Bank). While the number of injured students enrolled in schools in Palestine reached 4,863 (4,613 injured students in Gaza Strip and 250 injured students in the West Bank). As for the detained students enrolled in schools, 67 students were detained, where all of them are from the West Bank.

The number of students enrolled in schools in Palestine and the number of martyrs and injured among them during the period 07/10- 11/11/2023

130 martyrs of teachers and administrators in Gaza Strip schools

The number of martyrs of teachers and administrators in Palestine schools reached 130 martyrs, all of whom were martyred during the raids on Gaza Strip, while the number of the injured among teachers and administrators in Palestine schools reached 403 injured during the raids on Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, more than 40 individuals, including teachers and administrators in the West Bank schools were detained.

The number of martyrs and injured teachers and administrators in Gaza Strip schools during the period 07/10- 11/11/2023

45 schools in Gaza Strip were severely destroyed, and 27 schools in the West Bank were attacked

As for attacks on schools infrastructure, 239 government schools were attacked in Gaza Strip by bombs during air strikes, of which 45 schools were severely destroyed, and 50 UNRWA schools were attacked. Nonetheless, schools in the West Bank were not spared from the Israeli occupation attacks, where 27 governmental schools were attacked in the West Bank.

608 thousand students in Gaza Strip were deprived of their right to school education

As a natural reaction to the continuous bombing and violent raids on Gaza Strip, the toll of martyrs among students and teachers, and the destruction of the infrastructure of a significant number of schools, all schools in Gaza Strip have been suspended/closed as of the beginning of the aggression, depriving about 608 thousand students of their right to school education. 70 governmental and 145 UNRWA school buildings were also used as shelters and a refuge for displaced people. As for the schools in the West Bank, the school hours were not on their usual hours due to the repeated strikes and raids on a number of population centers, which hindered about 1,750 male and female teachers from reaching their schools every day, where local education did not exceed 90%.

5 martyrs out of every thousand students enrolled in higher education institutions in Gaza Strip

The number of martyrs during the period 07/10 - 05/11/2023 among students enrolled in higher education institutions in Palestine reached 446 students (438 students in Gaza Strip and 8 students in the West Bank), whereas there are 14 martyrs among employees working in higher educational institutions in Gaza Strip. The number of higher education institutions in Palestine that were partially or completely damaged since October 7^th reached 14 institutions (12 institutions in Gaza Strip and two institutions in the West Bank), which led to a complete interruption of university education in Gaza Strip, as well as the interruption of face-to-face education and the shift to online education in some higher education institutions in the West Bank.

The status of general and higher education in Palestine before the October 7^thWar

The number of schools in the scholastic year 2022/2023 in Palestine reached 3,190 schools (2,338 governmental schools, 380 UNRWA schools, and 472 private schools). By region, the number of schools in the West Bank reached 2,394 (1,896 governmental schools, 96 UNRWA schools, and 402 private schools). While the number of schools in Gaza Strip reached 796 schools, (442 governmental schools, 284 UNRWA schools, and 70 private schools).

The number of school buildings[1] in the scholastic year 2022/2023 in the West Bank reached 2,383 school buildings (1,889 governmental school buildings, 93 UNRWA school buildings, and 401 private school buildings). While the number of school buildings for the same scholastic year in Gaza Strip reached 550 school buildings (303 government school buildings, 182 UNRWA school buildings, and 65 private school buildings).

Number of Schools and School Buildings in Palestine by Supervising Authority, 2022/2023

The number of students in schools in Palestine for the same scholastic year reached about 1.38 million students, distributed according to supervising authority as follows: 899 thousand students in governmental schools, 339 thousand students in UNRWA schools, and 144 students in private schools. By region, the number of students in schools in the West Bank reached about 775 thousand students, distributed according to supervising authority as follows: 606 thousand students in government schools, 46 thousand students in UNRWA schools, and 123 thousand students in private schools. While the number of students in Gaza Strip schools reached about 608 thousand students, distributed according to supervising authority as follows: 294 thousand students in governmental schools, 293 thousand students in UNRWA schools, and 21 thousand students in private schools.

While the number of teachers in schools in Palestine for the scholastic year 2022/2023 reached about 62 thousand teachers (43 thousand teachers in governmental schools, 10.5 thousand teachers in UNRWA schools, and 8.5 thousand teachers in private schools). By region, the number of teachers in the West Bank schools reached about 40 thousand teachers (31 thousand teachers in governmental schools, about 2 thousand teachers in UNRWA schools, and 7 thousand teachers in private schools). While the number of teachers in Gaza Strip schools reached about 22 thousand teachers (12 thousand teachers in governmental schools, 9 thousand teachers in UNRWA schools, and a thousand teachers in private schools).

As for the average number of students per class in governmental schools in Palestine for the scholastic year 2022/2023, it reached 29.7 students per class, while it reached 40.0 students in UNRWA schools, and 22.9 students per class in private schools. By region, the average number of students per class in governmental schools in the West Bank was 26.7 students per class, while it was 34.3 students in UNRWA schools, and 23.1 students per class in private schools. While the average number of students per class in governmental schools in Gaza Strip was 38.6 students per class, while it was 41.1 students in UNRWA schools, and 21.7 students per class in private schools.

As for the higher education sector in Palestine, the number of higher education institutions in Palestine reached 53 institutions in the scholastic year 2021/2022 (35 institutions in the West Bank and 17 institutions in Gaza Strip), in addition to an open education university whose centers are distributed between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. About 226 thousand students are enrolled in these institutions (139 thousand students in the West Bank and 87 thousand students in Gaza Strip). Moreover, 46 thousand students graduated from these institutions in the scholastic year 2020/2021 (32 thousand graduates in the West Bank and 14 thousand graduates in Gaza Strip).

The number of employees working in higher education institutions in Palestine reached about 17 thousand employees in the scholastic year 2021/2022 (12 thousand employees in the West Bank and 5 thousand employees in Gaza Strip). While there were about 9 thousand educational academics in those institutions (7 thousands in the West Bank and 2 thousands in Gaza Strip).

Selected Indicators of General Education in Palestine by Governorate, 2022/2023

*: Do not include the Israeli Municipality and Culture Committee Schools in Jerusalem

Note: data do not necessarily represent the governorate students and teachers, as there are students and teachers who come from other governorates, as they represent the students and teachers in the governorate schools and not the governorate students and teachers.

Data Sources:

Ministry of Education. Education Census for the Scholastics Year 2022/2023. Ramallah – Palestine.

Ministry of Education. Israeli Occupation Violations against Education in Palestine 07/10/2023-11/11/2023. Ramallah – Palestine.

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Higher Education Statistical Yearbook for Scholastic Year 2021\2022. Ramallah – Palestine.

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Israeli Occupation Violations against Higher Education Sector in Palestine 07/10/2023-05/11/2023. Ramallah – Palestine.