This is spark that brought the “Determination Schools” initiative to life in Palestine; seven-year-old Muhannad, who traveled from Gaza to Nablus to finish his leukemia treatment and expressed his desire to resume his studies to the Ministry of Education.

The Ministry of Education opened four “Determination Schools” in Palestine’s West Bank within the framework of the Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP), funded by Education Cannot Wait (ECW). These schools are hospital-based and aim to provide personalized, flexible curricular and extra-curricular learning opportunities to children whose education was disrupted due to their prolonged medical treatment and who are at a significant risk of falling behind in their studies.

UNESCO is supporting all four of these schools and is shedding light on the initiative as a unique education model that ensures that learning never stops for hospitalized children as it allows them to participate in educational activities in view of being reintegrated in the regular school system upon recovery. UNESCO is also empowering and supporting teachers, by conducting capacity development workshops and sharing inspiring success stories and best practices from other countries. Developing teachers’ professional and behavioral skills and competencies are essential to better respond to learners’ needs, which includes the provision of individualized plans, psychosocial support, and inclusive education.