A month before the start of the school year, the Ministry of Education still has to close many gaps in order to fully conduct online learning • Education Minister Galant: "It will take more days and weeks"
Distance learning (illustration)
Photo:
Ami fat
A month before the start of the school year, the Ministry of Education detailed what the next school year will look like, and the words of Education Minister Yoav Galant today (Wednesday) on one of the main issues - digital learning, indicate that the Ministry of Education will not complete the preparations until the start of the school year.
One of the critical issues is distance learning, schools will be required to purchase teaching content, purchase computers, train teachers for distance learning and more. The amount allocated for this is NIS 1.2 billion. The problem is that half of the schools in the education system are non-electronic schools, which do not have enough computers, or an Internet network. These actions will take time and will not be enough to put them on until the start of the school year.
Archive // Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon, newsenders, Paz Bar
According to Minister Yoav Galant: "We have received a given situation, the given situation is what is in existing infrastructure. We understand that unlike the provisional organization last year we have assessment time - we in this aspect were engaged in formulating a program. It's a heavy cost to make through contractors and it will take more days and weeks - it will go into the year, but it will serve us for years to come. "
Another significant issue concerns what winter will bring with it. In this context, the Minister of Education warned that in the event of an increase in morbidity, it would not be possible to split the kindergartens and first and second grades. "We will not be able to split classes after we move the program, we will not be able to go back to half-classes in kindergartens and first-second grades. Students start and finish their studies according to the same format."
One of the big problems is the winter that is expected to come and no one knows how it will affect the morbidity. Recall that the Ministry of Health has eliminated the need for capsules (small groups) in kindergartens and grades 1-2 and they will study normally (30-34 students per class). This means that the Ministry of Education does not intend to assign them additional classes or teachers. The problem may arise in the winter - so it may be necessary to split them, but according to Education Minister Yoav Galant the Ministry of Education will not be able to do that.
"We will not be able to split classes after we move the program, we will not be able to go back to half-classes in kindergartens and first-second grades. Students start and finish their studies according to the same format." He said, adding, "Large systems will also have errors and mistakes - we will do our best to minimize them."
It will be recalled that about two weeks ago, the Ministry of Education announced that in kindergartens and grades 1-2, students will study normally, without being divided into capsules. In third-fourth grades, they will study in capsules of up to 18 students, and fifth-graders and above will study mainly by distance learning. The Ministry of Education is aware of the problem of fifth- and sixth-graders who are unable to study on their own. Education Minister Yoav Galant said he would make an attempt to blade them for at least three days of schooling - in buildings adjacent to educational institutions. As for special populations such as special education and youth at risk - they will be given special responses.
• Shortly before the parents' demonstration: The continuation of the school activity of the Great Freedom was approved
Capsules in the Dark: How will more teaching staff be recruited?
• "There is no choice, we will divide students by days and hours"
Another issue concerns the budget, the Ministries of Education and Finance have agreed on a sum of NIS 4.2 billion, but the big problem is that the budget needs government approval and has not yet passed - as long as the money is not transferred, it will be difficult to start estimates. The amount should be enough for four main issues - the second issue is manpower, due to the split more teaching staff and instructors will be needed - the Ministry of Education intends both to increase hours for teachers already working in the system and to bring Corona fired as tour guides and teaching students who have not yet graduated.
The rest of the money will go to strengthening hygiene and protective measures for teachers and students (one of the options being considered is to purchase a face shield for teachers) as well as to support special populations and general outreach. The current procedure in the education system says that if a sick student or teacher is discovered, the whole school will be closed - but this will not necessarily be the procedure in the next school year. For if the capsules are hermetically separated and the teachers also do not mix, it will be possible to send only a small part of the students of the institution for isolation.
