Empty classrooms
Sderot students go back to school
Teachers' organization decides to end strike in Gaza-perimeter communities because of security situation; strike continues in rest of schools nationwide; Education Ministry claims most middle schools remain open to students despite sanctions
The Middle and High School Teachers' Association decided on Wednesday to end its strike in Gaza-vicinity communities after a request by the director of the National Parents' Organization, Itzik Maimon.
The strike is set to continue in the rest of the country.
The Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee called on teachers to end their strike in schools in the Gaza area. "Given the current situation, it is important to prevent children from walking around in the streets all day, exposing themselves to the threat of Qassam rockets," MK Michael Melchior (Labor-Meimad), the head of the committee, said.
The committee also urged teachers to end their strike in boarding schools. Melchior said that, in many of these schools "the children are in danger and it is better for them to remain within the educational structure that they were sent to."
Leah Rosenberg, deputy director of the Education Ministry, told the committee that classes are continuing normally in schools for children with special needs.
It should be noted that the strike is not affecting the 20,000 religious students that study at Bnei Akiva yeshivot.
Members of the Teachers' Association began an open-ended strike Wednesday to protest what they claimed was as the Finance Ministry's foot-dragging in wage negotiations.
A review by the Education Ministry found that 53% of middle school students attended classes on Wednesday in spite of the strike as some of the middle school teachers are not members of the striking teachers' union.
