The Gaza Experience: High School Uniforms

By Hanitizer

I headed to the Beit Lahia High School to pick my video camcorder from my nephew Ahmad who has been using it to film sport activities at his school. I rode on my Cousin Mohammad’s scooter where he drove us through the narrow streets. As we entered the high school, I could swear that we walked into a sham Giorgio Armani fashion shows. I mean these school kids wore outfits more in line with high schools in Beverly Hills not a small northern Gaza town. It’s hard to miss the fake Lacoste shirts, bogus Chinese denim, and gigantic buckle belts and no school backpacks to speak of. Most of these items are smuggled into Gaza via those creepy tunnels. I complained to my cousin Mohammad who is a low-ranking policeman in the Hamas government about his “people’s” outlandish policy to longer enforce school uniforms in Gaza, as it has been the tradition. Mohammad defended the lack of enforcement by stating the obvious, the Gaza economy is horrible and the government does not want people to have any more financial burdens. He did also state that he believes it is a generational problem where he thinks the younger generation is a lousier one as according to him the youngsters lack a sense of responsibility and dedication.

I did agree with Mohammad’s opinion on the generational issue as I have noted similar patterns in my nephews and nieces in Gaza as well as in the States where gadgets obsessed teens give their parents and law enforcement officers’ nightmares. However, I found that his economy defense is inaccurate. It’s true that the economy in Gaza is in the tank, and unemployment is record shattering, but that does not explain the lack of enforcement. The government in Gaza managed to enforce school uniforms on high school girls, but exclude the boys from buying uniforms. Also, school uniforms are not going to be pricier than those flashy outfits and counterfeit logos the Gaza youth wear to schools. In other word, kids in Gaza have the liberty to wear whatever to school. This might go to argue that Hamas is big on personal freedom, more so than Fateh that enforced such school uniforms. But again, they made high school girls wear black robes.

I do however notice that when I went to school in Gaza, my parents did not have to worry about me taking drugs as this was not an option back then, but now thanks to the tunnels kids in Gaza can self-medicate with recreational drugs. I only hope my nephews will somehow manage to get their high school degrees as I hear Ahmad talking about wanting to quit school and starting his own cell phone accessories store.