As schools around the country Sunday launch the new school year, some 20,304 students from 45 schools are stuck at home, according to data from the Education Ministry situation room in Jerusalem.
Officials at the ministry, however, expressed satisfaction that the closures were not related to the war in the north.
Education Minister Yuli Tamir with new student at Galilee school (Photo: Hagai Aharon)
The majority of strikes were in Sderot and the Shaar Hanegev local council, where parents refuse to open schools citing the absence of Qassam rocket shields.
Additionally, the Yerka local council in the Galilee was striking owing to failure to pay teachers’ salaries. Five schools in the Bedouin sector will remain closed due to strikes protesting overcrowding, failure to pave roads and insufficient classroom space.
Police on highest alert level
In the rest of the country, schools opened as scheduled with few exceptions.
Deputy Director-General of the Education Ministry Leah Rosenberg expressed relief at the circumstances.
“Most of the strikes, as in previous years, are the result of pointed problem which arise every year, and not due to the war. This is encouraging for us, as there was great concern that the school year wouldn’t open smoothly due to the war.”
Israel Police is on the highest alert level ahead of the first day of school, and security at kindergartens and other institutions will be beefed up.
Thousands of police and Border Guard officers will be positioned throughout Israel’s population hubs, and Israel Police Chief Insp.-Gen. Moshe Karadi instructed police forces to search northern district schools and educational institutions to locate unexploded missiles and weapons that might have been left there as a result of the war in the north.
The Education Ministry’s situation room can be reached at 567-234-1212
First published: 22:56, 09.02.6