3 'Ethiopian' schools to close next year
Education Ministry to close schools with majority of Ethiopian students in order to promote integration
The Education Ministry has recently decided to close two schools in Beer Yaakov and Netanya whose students consist mainly of Ethiopians. The schools will be closed at the end of the current school year and the students will be divided among various different schools.
The decision is based on Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar's directive to gradually close all educational establishments designated for Ethiopians only.
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It is in fact an achievement of Israel's Ethiopian community which has led a campaign in favor of integration in the past few years. The struggle culminated last summer when the Ner Etzion school in Petah Tikva was the first to be closed to make way for integration.
Statistics indicate that 10 Israeli kindergartens and elementary schools are attended by Ethiopian pupils only. In 17 elementary schools, seven high schools and four junior high schools, Ethiopians comprise more than 50% of the students.
The Education Ministry is slated to announce the closing of additional educational establishments with a majority of Ethiopian students.
Daniel Oriah, an Ethiopian activist said that the struggle will not be over until all the decisions on the matter will be implemented.
Members of the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews believe that sending the students to different schools is not the solution. The solution, they say, is strengthening the existing schools.
"The school in Beer Yaakov is the community's only state-religious school and I'm not sure than the best solution is to close it and send the kids off to schools in other cities," spokeswoman Efrat Yardai said.
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