BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:657@ukfiet.org DTSTART:20241118T100000Z DTEND:20241118T153000Z DTSTAMP:20241024T145944Z URL:https://www.ukfiet.org/events/responding-to-scholasticide-in-gaza-the- role-of-the-uk-international-education-and-training-community/ SUMMARY:Responding to 'Scholasticide' in Gaza: The Role of the UK Internati onal Education and Training Community DESCRIPTION:Monday 18 November\, 10:00-15:30\nFriend’s Meeting House\, Eu ston Square\, London NW1 2BJ\; and online\nREGISTER HERE\nThe event is co- organised by UKFIET\; the Centre for International and Comparative Educati on (CIRE)\, University of Bristol\; the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre\, University of Cambridge\; and the Friends of Birz eit University (FOBZU)\, an education charity championing the right to edu cation in Palestine.\nAims and objectives of the event\n\n To hear first-h and from representatives of Palestinian education institutions in Gaza and Palestinian experts in the field about the background\, nature and extent of the crisis in Gazan education and their priorities for international a ssistance.\n To launch a report on the crisis in schooling in Gaza and to hear updates from the Emergency Committee for Universities in Gaza.\n To c onsider how the UK international education and training community can best respond to the immediate needs of learners and educators in Gaza and how the community can contribute to the longer-term reconstruction of the educ ation system in Gaza in partnership with Palestinian education institution s.\n\nBackground\nIsrael’s war in Gaza has led to the loss of tens of th ousands of Palestinian lives and has created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. UN experts have warned of ‘scholasticide’ in Gaza\, a term th at has been used to describe the systematic destruction of an education sy stem and its institutions. In Gaza\, 17 years of blockade combined with re current war have damaged and destroyed an already fragile education infras tructure: increasing pressure on education facilities\, disrupting educati on provision\, and impacting the psychosocial wellbeing of children and te achers.\nAccording to the Ministry of Health\, as reported by the UN Offic e for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs\, more than 10\,449 school students of various grades have been killed\, along with more than 400 tea chers. Many have been killed in schools\, which have been turned into shel ters for displaced Palestinians since the war began. According to UNICEF\, 93 per cent of Gaza’s 560 school buildings have been either destroyed o r damaged since 7 October 2023. About 340 have been directly bombed by the Israeli army. They include government and private schools and those run b y UNRWA itself. More than 625\,000 students have been deprived of schoolin g since 7 October. The situation in higher education is equally bleak. All 12 university buildings in Gaza have been destroyed\, while thousands of students and teachers have been killed\, among them some of Palestine’s most prominent scholars.\nThe international response to the school crisis is coordinated by the Occupied Palestinian Territory Education Cluster\, w hich is co-led by UNICEF and Save the Children. The Cluster has been playi ng an important role in advocating for education as an integral part of th e humanitarian response. Along with UNRWA and other actors active in suppo rting education in Gaza\, the Cluster seeks to ensure that children and yo uth can resume their right to learn as soon as possible. They coordinate a ll education actors to do everything possible during the current hostiliti es to plan for reconstructing the education system as soon as there is a p ermanent ceasefire\, and then will support the effective resumption of edu cation in Gaza as soon as hostilities stop.\nParticular attention is neede d to the support that teachers and counsellors need\, in the light of the effects of the war on their own wellbeing\, as well as the differentiated and additional support that children and young people need\, given the tra uma they are facing\, as well as the larger number of war-induced disabili ties\, along with other vulnerabilities.\nResponding to a historic call by Gaza academics and administrators for urgent support to reopen their univ ersities and resume teaching\, the three largest public universities in th e Strip established the Emergency Committee for Universities in Gaza to co ordinate the international response. The Committee has identified several priorities for international support based on the principle of partnership with Gaza’s universities. These include public pledges to rebuild the d emolished universities in Gaza\, immediate support for online instruction\ , student scholarships so students can continue their studies at their hom e universities\, exiled student support\, Faculty Fellowships and research cooperation.\nProgramme\n\n\n\n\n10:00-10:30\n\n\nArrival/Coffee\n\n\n\n\ n10:30-10:45\n\n\nWelcome and Introductions. Aims for the day\n\n\n\n\n10: 45-12:00\n\n\nResponding to the ‘scholasticide’ in higher education: T estimonials and calls from Palestinian academics\nPanel discussion with:\n Dr Radwan Abu Rukba\, Al Aqsa University\, Gaza\nDr Ahmed Abu Shaban\, Al Azhar University\, Gaza\nDr Nasreddine Almezaini\, Islamic University\, Ga za\nDr Mezna Qato\, University of Cambridge\nDr Abdel Razzaq Takriti\, Ric e University\, Texas\nOmar Shweiki\, Fobzu\nFollowed by Q&\;A\n\n\n\n\n 12:00-13:00\n\n\nNetworking lunch\n\n\n\n\n13:00-14:15\n\n\nPalestinian sc hooling under attack in Gaza: What is to be done? The role of the internat ional community\nPresentation and discussion with:\nProfessor Pauline Rose \, Professor Yusuf Sayed and Professor Maha Shuayb\, University of Cambrid ge and Centre for Lebanese Studies\nAyman Qwaider\, Inter-agency Network f or Education in Emergencies\, and Enabling Education Network (EENET)\nRepr esentative from UNRWA\, tbc\nFollowed by Q&\;A\n\n\n\n\n14:15-15:00\n\n \nBreakout sessions to identify practical ways in which UKFIET member orga nisations can respond to the crisis in schooling and in higher education\n \n\n\n\n15:00-15:15\n\n\nFeedback from plenary\n\n\n\n\n15:15-15:30\n\n\nC lose and next steps\n\n\n\n\n \; ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.ukfiet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/0 9/Scholasticide-slide-nolink.jpg CATEGORIES:Report Launch,Roundtable,Webinar END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR