A group of Palestinian universities in the Gaza Strip told students and teachers they could stay at home until next Saturday.
A press conference was held last week to announce the suspension of studying from Tuesday till the end of the week for the major universities in the Gaza Strip including Islamic University of Gaza, Al-Aqsa University, Palestine University, Al-Quds Open University and Community College of Applied Science& Technology. On Saturday, April 19, 2008, IUG renewed the suspension of teaching as the fuel crisis continued.
Dr. Kamalain Shaath, IUG president, declared in the press conference that “We have been forced to make such a painful decision and we are appealing to all worldwide organizations involving the United Nations Secretary General, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the world universities unions to exert pressure on the Israeli occupation government to lift the repressive siege and prevent the inevitable collapse of all [aspects] of life here, including academic life.”
Dr. Shaath said only about 30 percent of its 20,000 students had attended class in recent days. He said most of the students lived outside the city and “it is not easy to walk”.
In the declared statement, Universities of Gaza Strip confirmed that all aspects of educational life have been stopped since the Isreali blockade on the Gaza Strip, including: university Expansion and development after preventing the necessary building materials; scientific labs; students could not cover their tuition fees and even could not reach their universities as a result of money and fuel lack.
Thus, students, teachers and the whole educational institutions in the Gaza Strip suffer after crossing borders from every side around the area. The World Community should take his responsibility to stop such a blockade on the innocent civilians in Gaza.
