A nursery teacher consoling a girl who is upset, other children are playing in the next room at SOS nursery school Bethlehem, in the Palestinian Territories.

A nursery teacher consoling a girl who is upset, other children are playing in the next room at SOS nursery school Bethlehem, in the Palestinian Territories.

The two SOS Schools in the Palestinian Territories strive to offer children the best possible education regardless of the daily difficulties they encounter. Even getting to school is a problem on some days and in some areas.

The list of unavailable foodstuffs and necessities grows daily. "And what is still available in the markets is extreamly expensive", says Kamil El Shami, project director of SOS Children's Villages in Rafah.

The cordoning off of the Gaza strip makes life increasingly difficult for the inhabitants. One has to walk many places because there is nearly no fuel available. The limited mobility, closed off streets, checkpoints and military activities affect regular schooling, since the students can often not get to school. The students and teachers of the SOS School in Rafah have been dealing with such difficulties for years, but the present situation is especially depressing.

The 2,400 schools in the Palestinian Territories are struggling due to overfilled classes, insufficient computers and labs, hardly any audio-visual equipment, very few possibilities for teaching children with special needs. In rural areas there is no educational infrastructure whatsoever.

There is an average of 52 children per class, and a third of the schools have split-shift scheduling, especially in the Gaza Strip.

Through the years, the SOS Children's Villages facilities have become significant reference points, places where the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank find hope. The SOS Schools in Rafah and Bethlehem are better able to offer equipped classrooms and playgrounds than the state-run schools and other private schools. There are about 30 students in each class and the teachers have thorough training.

Both schools are full, the waiting lists are long, and the nursery in Rafah already cares for 360 children and cannot take in any more. There is hardly anything on offer for the people living there. In Rafah, 177 children attend the SOS School, and language and computer courses for women are also on offer.

In addition to regular lessons, the school and the SOS Children's Village organise different events for the children living in the village, those attending the nursery and the school, their parents and families from the neighbourhood. There are football tournaments, creativity competitions. The SOS School organised a painting competition on the theme "A Child's Experience" together with the Ministry of Education in March - and 27 schools in Rafah and Khan Younis participated.

The SOS School in Bethlehem opened in 1997 with only one class. Today 370 children are enrolled and there are 16 classes from the first to the eighth grade. Every year they plan to add another grade and some 70 to 80 new students can register. Both schools work closely with the Palestinian Ministry of Education, other schools, NGOs and project groups.

"Much more needs to be invested in education in the Palestinian Territories. Improving the education on offer would also contribute to a peaceful society", says Kamil El Shami.