Love Aid Singapore pledges continued support for children’s education in Gaza amidst conflict

Singaporean activist and founder of Love Aid Singapore, Gilbert Goh, has expressed gratitude to Singaporeans for their contributions towards the educational needs of Palestinian children in Gaza.

Goh shared his appreciation via the organisation’s Instagram account on Tuesday (4 Dec).

“Thank you, Singaporeans, for donating to the educational needs of Palestinian children in Gaza,” Goh wrote, highlighting the critical role of education in resisting oppression.

He emphasised that education serves as a passive form of resistance against apartheid-like occupation, stating that aggressors often target educational institutions during conflicts.

“The first thing most aggressors will destroy in any war is educational institutions, as they represent the bedrock of any comeback,” he said.

Drawing parallels with history, Goh referenced World War II, when Nazi Germany deliberately destroyed educational facilities across Europe.

He explained that such actions aimed to impose agendas like directing youth to work in factories rather than attending school.

The destruction of schools, he noted, also delivers a profound psychological impact, damaging morale and hindering recovery.

“Once you destroy the country’s educational facilities, you also destroy a country’s future and any come-back even after the war ends is harder,” Goh remarked.

He further highlighted that schools in war zones are often converted into shelters, limiting opportunities for children to study in a proper classroom setting.

To address these challenges, Love Aid Singapore is working to sustain three tent schools in Gaza by providing funding for teachers’ salaries and essential resources.

Goh stressed the importance of supporting makeshift schools, saying, “A makeshift school environment set up inside a tent needs to be funded conscientiously to ensure education is still available, albeit on a limited capacity.”

The organisation is also considering a request for classroom stationery for the children and pledged to review it carefully.

Goh ended his message by thanking Singaporeans for their support.

“Thank you for standing on the right side of humanity with me,” he wrote.

Love Aid Singapore continues to raise awareness and funds to ensure that education, even in the most challenging circumstances, remains accessible to children affected by war.

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A post shared by Gilbert Goh (@loveaidsg)

Conflict in Gaza risks creating a ‘lost generation’ of Palestinian youth, study warns

The ongoing conflict in Gaza could set children and young people’s education back by up to five years, potentially creating a lost generation of traumatised Palestinian youth, according to a new study.

The report, a collaboration between the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and academics from the University of Cambridge and the Centre for Lebanese Studies, offers the first comprehensive analysis of the war’s toll on education since its escalation in October 2023.

Findings reveal that Gaza’s children have already endured 14 months of lost schooling since 2019 due to COVID-19, previous military operations, and the current conflict.

The most optimistic scenario – an immediate ceasefire and swift rebuilding efforts – predicts two years of disrupted learning. However, if the war continues until 2026, educational setbacks could extend to five years.

In addition to missed schooling, the study highlights compounding factors like trauma, hunger, and forced displacement, all of which intensify Gaza’s education crisis.

Frontline staff and aid workers describe devastating impacts on students and teachers alike, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

The report also raises alarm over the lack of international focus on education.

“Education, simply put, is not seen as lifesaving,” it warns, noting that aid priorities have shifted to other areas.

This deprioritisation threatens not only learning but also children’s belief in the future and in fundamental principles like human rights.

Researchers estimate that the cumulative school closures have increased “learning poverty” – the percentage of children unable to read a basic text by age 10 – by at least 20 percentage points.

The actual impact may be even higher, as the figures do not fully account for the psychological and social toll on students and educators.

The report calls for urgent, large-scale support to provide children with education, structured play, and other critical forms of aid.

Without this, the long-term consequences for Gaza’s next generation will continue to deepen, jeopardising their future and the region’s stability.