Half a million Palestinian children made a delayed return to school in Gaza yesterday.

Gaza Education Ministry official Ziad Thabet said the return included 230,000 1st to 12th graders attending public schools, 200,000 going to United Nations-run schools and tens of thousands enrolled in private institutions.

The reopening had been delayed for two weeks because of damage to schools and the diversion of UN school buildings for use as temporary centres to house tens of thousands of displaced people. 

Up to 50,000 people are still being housed in the UN schools, the UN Palestinian refugee agency said.

Mr Thabet said that the first week of instruction in government schools will be given over to providing psychological counselling and recreational activities to help the war-weary children.

“We gave special training to more than 11,000 teachers and 3,000 principals and administrators about how to address students after the war,” he said.

Mr Thabet added that 26 Gaza schools were destroyed during the conflict and 232 sustained damage.

He said that government funding for education remained patchy, with no money available for operational expenses since the formation of a unity government earlier this year between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank.

Unicef official June Kunugi echoed his concerns.

“Investing in education is an investment for the future,” she warned.

“Without increased support and commitment to their education and protection, an entire generation in Gaza could be lost.”