Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand
Every year on 8 September, the world observes International Literacy Day, a reminder of the power of education to break cycles of poverty, open opportunities, and build just, peaceful societies. Literacy is not only about the ability to read and write, but also about dignity, empowerment, and the right to a future.
For Palestinians, however, this right is under constant threat. Decades of occupation, siege, and violence have devastated schools, universities, and libraries. In Gaza, entire educational institutions have been reduced to rubble. Teachers and students have been displaced, arrested, and even killed. What should be safe spaces for learning have been transformed into places of mourning.
Despite these hardships, the Palestinian people have always valued education as a form of resistance and resilience. Palestinian literacy rates remain among the highest in the Arab world, a testament to their deep commitment to knowledge and the belief that education is a pathway to freedom. Parents still encourage their children to read, to study, and to dream, even under bombardment. Books are shared, lessons continue in tents and ruins, and stories are passed down as acts of survival.
On this International Literacy Day, we must not only celebrate the global progress in education but also recognize the injustice faced by millions of Palestinian children who are denied their basic right to learn. Literacy should never be a privilege; it is a human right.
To stand in solidarity with Palestine on this day is to affirm that every child deserves a classroom, every teacher deserves safety, and every community deserves the chance to learn and thrive without fear.
Education is resistance. Literacy is freedom. Palestine deserves both.
Palestine Forum of New Zealand
