A glimpse of normality: Gazan pupils go back to school in UAE

More than 400 Palestinian children are attending lessons at a school opened within Emirates Humanitarian City in Abu Dhabi

Gazan pupils attend school in Emirates Humanitarian City, Abu Dhabi. All pictures by Victor Besa

A young pupil heads to the nursery area

Pupils wait in line to enter the nursery

A lesson gets under way

A young Gazan pupil reads out loud to the class

The school is providing a lifeline for children whose education has been disrupted by war

Young Palestinians are delighted to be back at school following a year of turmoil

The school caters for children aged one to 16

The school brings normality and structure to lives affected by conflict

Two Palestinian pupils get to work during lesson time

A teacher calls the morning register

A pupil carries books to the classroom

Young pupils perform a song in front of their loved ones

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At first glance, the school at Abu Dhabi's Emirates Humanitarian City (EHC) feels like any other as the new academic year rolls on.

In the nursery, parents park their strollers in a nearby corridor as they walk their children to class. On the wall, a large painting cheerfully declares, “Welcome to our nursery,” setting a warm and inviting tone.

At a building next to the nursery, which houses the preparatory and high school sections, is where the school bell rings at the end of each period.

Pupils, with their bags and wheelies in tow, move from one classroom to another. The canteen buzzes with chatter and laughter echoes through the halls as paper aeroplanes float through the air and teachers guide their pupils with care.

Children carrying the scars of war

As you look closer inside the classrooms, a different story unfolds. Some children have lost their hair from chemotherapy, others have casts or have lost limbs, and there are several pupils in wheelchairs.

Every so often, a child leaves for a doctor’s appointment and returns later in the day, while others don’t come back because they are in surgery at one of the UAE’s government hospitals or receiving chemotherapy treatments.

This unique school is attended by hundreds of Palestinian children rescued from the nightmare of deadly war back home.

It has been built within the grounds of the EHC complex, which serves as a crucial sanctuary from the near year-long Israel-Gaza conflict.

The school, which has taught a limited number of children for some months, has now fully opened for 408 children, aged one to 16.

It will provide a vital route back to mainstream learning as well as a sense of normality and structure to young lives tinged by tragedy and turmoil.

Close to 2,000 evacuees are receiving shelter at EHC as part of the UAE's continuing humanitarian operations in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The UAE continues to fly people out of Gaza to receive care for injuries or for cancer treatment. Many are accompanied by relatives.

A home from home

Mubarak Al Qahtani, spokesman for the EHC, said delivering quality education to Gazans who have called the centre home for many months was paramount.

“It has been almost a year with our guests from Gaza, and I cannot in all honesty say that there were no challenges, but we have overcome most of them,” he said.

“Providing adequate care and treatment was a priority, but also education was equally important to ensure that they can one day go back to their normal life. We’ve had students who have lost their eyesight and are now learning Braille.

“Others have lost their hearing and learning to read lips and are getting adjusted to hearing aids, and many have lost limbs. These are children who have gone through so much loss and pain, have witnessed unimaginable horrors – helping them overcome it is a major challenge.

“There are so many teams and organisations working tirelessly with these families and children, but no matter what we do, it feels small compared to the immense pain and loss they have endured.”

The EHC school operates from Cycle 1 to Grade 12, offering core sciences, drama, music, and PE classes. In Cycle 1 and 2, there are more than 20 teachers, all seconded from the Ministry of Education.

Each lesson is about 50 minutes long, and there’s always a psychiatrist or psychotherapist nearby in case anyone needs support. Roving doctors provide medicine to students during class if necessary.

This is where the differences from a regular school become apparent – with a support network of doctors, therapists, and psychologists, silently on call.

During the National's visit, one pupil, who witnessed his entire family being killed in front of him, got up from his seat and banged his head against the wall. After receiving counselling, he was later able to resume his studies in class.

The children are handled delicately, with teachers mindful of the trauma they've witnessed. Loud noises, yelling, screaming, and banging are not allowed.

“In spite of their young age, many are aware of what has happened and were under a lot of psychological stress,” said nursery director Nisreen Ali Abu Zaid.

“We’ve had children who were pulled out from under the rubble and were in such emotional shock that they did not speak when they first came.”

“We try to engage them and surround them with as much love and support as possible and have designed a variety of activities for them, and thankfully, today they look forward to coming to the nursery and excited to tell and show everyone what they've learnt.”

The children sit regular exams and receive qualifications equivalent to those offered by existing school in the Emirates.

Overcoming adversity

Lama Suhel Mady, 11, and her mother Sabreen Musa Mady, survived an air strike in Gaza that killed 45 people in one building.

More than 20 members of Ms Mady’s extended family were killed, with Lama surviving because she was at the bottom of the building at the time, playing with her cousin. However, her pelvis was fractured.

When The National spoke to her in January shortly after her arrival in the UAE, she told of how she longed to return to school. Now that dream has been realised.

“I like it here better than Gaza. The teachers are nicer, but I do miss my friends,” said Lama, a grade 6 pupil at the EHC school. They don’t yell here like the teachers in Gaza.”

Mathematics is her favourite subject, and she hopes to teach it in years to come.

Mais Abu Nada, 12, is also a pupil at the school and is delighted to be back in class. “The teachers are amazing,” she said.

Mais has her sights set on becoming a digital artist. “I’m a beginner, so it isn’t the best,” she adds, while showing a cartoon illustration of a cat's paws she created.

A family of learners

All of Maryam Hassan’s five children go to the school, embracing the opportunity for a fresh start after escaping the horrors of a raging war.

Her youngest, Yousef, 3, attends the nursery, while eldest son, Omar, 13, is in Grade 7.

The family were flown out of a war zone into the sanctuary of EHC to provide critical medical care to Omar, who has had more than 50 operations on his jaw and neck.

He now has a hole in his throat and requires further surgery. Despite the challenges life has already thrown at him, attending school bring him much-needed happiness.

“I’m happy at the school. I love all the subjects. I want to be a doctor so I can treat everyone, the people in Gaza, and myself,” Omar said.