The Ingenuity Trap By Hani Shehada Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

The Ingenuity Trap By Hani Shehada Gaza's educators rebuilt photocopiers from rubble to keep a national exam alive. As world leaders wrap up their week in New York, they should count what that feat cost. DOHA, Qatar, Oct 2 2026 (IPS) - In the 21st century, getting a pencil into Gaza became international news. In January, after more than two years of restrictions, UNICEF finally brought in learning kits with pencils and exercise books. Textbooks stayed out. By then, the UN had recorded damage to 97.5 per cent of Gaza’s schools. If a pencil makes headlines, consider what a national examination demands: question papers printed for thousands of students, answer sheets scanned, halls furnished and staffed. In Gaza, education officials started by pulling damaged photocopiers from beneath the rubble, stripping their usable parts and rebuilding enough machines to keep the exam alive. It worked. More than 95,000 students have sat the Tawjihi, the national secondary school examination that decides who can compete for a university place. https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/10/the-ingenuity-trap/?utm_source=email_marketing&utm_admin=146128&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=How_to_Protect_Coastal_Communities_From_TideRelated_Loss_and_Damage_in_Bangladesh_For_Pakistan_Risin Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -