1.2m Palestinians return to school next week

Some 1,192,808 students are due to start school in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip on Sunday, Palestinian Authority (PA) Education Minister Sabri Saidam announced yesterday.

Of those attending, 693,165 are in the West Bank and 499,643 are in Gaza. The government has made preparations for the new school year when 2,914 schools will be operating, including 2,135 state schools, 353 run by UNRWA and 426 which are privately run. Some 66,136 teachers and administrative staff man the education institutes.

Saidam paid tribute to the 40 members of the Ministry of Education who were killed by occupation forces in the last academic year. Adding that 1,013 students and teachers were wounded and 352 were arrested. Three schools were also threatened with demolition.