Cairo Workshop: Gazan Educators Meet with Education Commissioner from the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, 11 August 2026

Dr El-Daour addresses the educators.

On 11 August 2026, we opened a further two-day intensive training programme in Cairo, bringing together our cohort of displaced Gazan educators for in-person training focused on trauma-informed pedagogy, motivating learning, and adaptive teaching. The programme builds on our August 2025 pilot programme, subsequent online seminars, and three-day hybrid training held in April 2026.

During the first day, we were pleased to welcome Dr Jabr Ibrahim El-Daour, Commissioner for Education for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), alongside members of his team. Dr El-Daour observed a training session before addressing the Gazan educators on the current educational situation in Gaza and his team’s priorities for rebuilding educational provision.

Dr El-Daour outlined the scale of educational disruption in Gaza, telling participants that 93% of schools had been destroyed and that 117,000 students are currently out of school. He identified bringing all students back into education as a central priority, alongside addressing significant learning loss and strengthening psychological support for both students and teachers. He also emphasised the importance of moving towards education focused on learning and skills, rather than examinations alone.

The session concluded with an open discussion, giving participating educators the opportunity to raise questions directly with Dr El-Daour about the challenges facing teachers and students both inside Gaza and those currently displaced in Egypt, including access to education, teachers’ rights, and the eventual return of displaced educators to Gaza.

The two-day training, facilitated by Forward Thinking, is being delivered by Queen’s University Belfast and St Mary’s University College Belfast, with support from the SHAF Centre in Cairo. Across the two days, participants will explore practical approaches to supporting children affected by trauma, motivating learning, positive behaviour, lost learning, and supporting children with special educational needs.

Dr El-Daour and his team observe one of our sessions.