"Students in Beit Lahiya are attending makeshift classes in the dangerous yellow zone' near Israeli positions, as UNICEF warns that trauma has left 25 percent of children with speech impediments. In a small tent overshadowed by the sound of nearby gunfire, seven-year-old Tulin prepares for her first day of school in two years. For most children, this would be a moment of excitement. For Tulin and her mother, it is a chapter of terror."
"Until my daughter gets to school, I honestly walk with my heart in my hand, Tulin's mother told Al Jazeera correspondent Shady Shamieh. Many times, I find myself involuntarily following her until she reaches the school. I feel there is something [dangerous], but I want her to learn, she added. If not for this situation, she would be in second grade now. But we are determined."
"The canvas walls cannot stop bullets, yet the students sit on the ground, determined to learn. Their teacher describes a harrowing daily routine where education is frequently interrupted by the crack of sniper fire. The location is difficult, close to the occupation [forces], the teacher explained. When the shooting starts, we tell the children: 'Take the sleeping position.' I get goosebumps, praying to God that no injuries occur. We make them lie on the ground until the shooting stops."
Most schools in Gaza have been destroyed, forcing families in Beit Lahiya to hold classes in makeshift tents within the Israeli-designated 'yellow zone' mere metres from Israeli positions. Canvas-walled tents offer no ballistic protection while students sit on the ground and endure nearby gunfire. Many children experience severe trauma; UNICEF reports 25 percent of children show speech impediments linked to trauma. Daily routines include lying prone during sniper fire and frequent interruptions of lessons. Parents fear for their children's safety during the journey to school but continue to send them so they can learn. Teachers pray that no injuries occur.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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