Some Israeli children will be returning to school on Sunday after the Ministerial Committee on Coronavirus made a controversial decision to approves the opening of public school classes for children in first through third grades and 11 and 12. Schools were shuttered two months ago as the coronavirus spread throughout the country. But recent data from the Health Ministry has indicated that the virus is in decline. On Friday morning, there were only 7,023 active cases, among them 105 in serious condition. The move goes against the Gertner Institute, which researched how quickly the virus spreads among children, and recommended that the country wait a little longer and then open the education system in stages. By the end of March, more than 160 countries worldwide had closed schools and nearly 90% of the world’s student population was out of class. Only a handful have started to return. Health experts have expressed skepticism that Israel needs to be a pioneer on this front. On Thursday night, former Health Ministry director-general Gabi Barbash told N12 that “If it were my kid, I would not send him to school.” Similarly, members of Forum 15, the Israeli Forum of Self-Government Cities, expressed concern that they would unable to implement the decision safely in such a short time frame, calling the decision “irresponsible and even dangerous, despite its good intentions.” The forum called on the government to postpone its decision by several days. The Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Beersheba and Bat Yam municipalities informed the government that they would not open schools on Sunday as per the government’s plan.
Back to the schools: Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) children in grades 7 through 12 will return to school, as well as all children enrolled in special education programs. What the framework will look like for youth-at-risk is sill under discussion.
Private daycare centers can open, as well, with up to five children. Over the course of the next week, preparations will be made with the intention of opening preschools and kindergartens by May 10. The hope is that students in grades four through 10 will also return by sometime in May, but according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the latest return would be June 1. At this stage, going to school will not be mandatory, except for students learning for their matriculation exams. The Education Ministry will work with the schools to obtain the tools necessary to ensure the health and safety of students and teachers. Minister of Education Rafi Peretz confirmed that he supported the decision by the Ministerial Committee and that the education system is ready to open on Sunday. He said he expects “hectic discussions” with the Health Ministry in the coming weeks as they determine how best to open the rest of the system. MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), however, called the decision disorganized. Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu is playing yo-yo with the education system,” he said. “Instead of making organized decisions after serious administrative work, the most fateful decisions concerning the children, parents and teachers are made through improvisation and at the last minute.”
On Thursday, preschool and elementary school teachers protested in concern that the policies recommended by the Education Ministry for opening schools will leave them at risk of contracting the virus. Many parents took to social media saying they would not send their kids to school. It is still unclear what risk the move poses to parents and teachers who are older or who have underlying medical conditions, or who have children with medical conditions. The Education Ministry has asked the National Security Council to assist in answering a number of logistical questions before classes resume on Sunday. Although the PMO put out a statement about schools opening, many questions remain unanswered, such as how to handle recesses, whether children will be required to wear protective masks and who would be responsible for disinfecting classrooms and when.
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