Nearly a million Israeli children returned to school on Sunday morning after the government voted to ease the coronavirus restrictions last week.
The cabinet on Friday voted to partially reopen the education system, adding that parents will be able to decide whether or not they want to send their children back. Major local municipalities, including Tel Aviv and Be'er Sheva, said that since clear regulations for reopening have not been established, they would not risk reopening the city's schools at this time.
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Reopening of schools in Pardes Hanna-Karkur
(Photo: Pardes Hanna-Karkur Municipality )
Among those who were set to return on Sunday, as well as later on in the week, are 493,933 children from first through third grade and some 200,000 students from eleventh and twelfth grade.
According to the government decision, children from the first, second and third grade will study five days a week for five hours a day, in groups of 17 students.
Students from the eleventh and twelfth grades will only attend essential classes, also in groups of 17, in preparation for their matriculation exams, which are set to begin on June 22.
In addition, another 80,000 special education students are set to join 60,000 children who resumed their studies last week.
All special education students, aged 3 through 21, will study for five days a week for six hours a day from 8am until 2pm. Special education students in classes at regular schools will study for five hours from 8am until 1pm.
In addition, some 127,000 students from ultra-Orthodox schools from the seventh through twelfth grade.
Hava Avocrat, deputy principal of a school in the northern city of Nof HaGalil, greeted the teachers and students at the entrance and personally measured the temperature of the school staff. "I am very excited, I feel like it’s September 1," she told Ynet.
"The hardest part today was seeing the principal for the first time in two months and not give her a hug."