It seems that students in fifth grades and up will learn from home for months • The education system is considering returning to capsules in kindergartens and grades 1-2 as well.
As published yesterday in "Israel Today", the education and health system estimates that studies in the lower age groups will only resume in about a month.
Even then, according to the experts, only kindergarten and first- and second-grade students will return to study, and this will be done in capsules (small groups) and not in whole grades as is the case today (currently capsules only exist in third-fourth grades).
Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon, newsenders, Paz Bar
Regarding the upper age groups, the forecast is gloomier, and a team of experts advising the National Security Council has determined that preparations should be made for the postponement of the opening of the education system for the upper grades (Thursday and above) at least until Hanukkah - to be noted in mid-December.
According to the outline, when studies return, in the first phase, only kindergartens and first- and second-grade students will be returned.
This will happen within the limits of the purple character, which will include reducing the number of students in the class and learning in capsules.
It will be recalled that the Ministry of Education's program at the beginning of the year included learning capsules in kindergartens and grades 1-2, but a document from the Ministry of Health stated that this was not necessary due to low morbidity at these ages.
A complex plan
There are about 20,000 kindergartens and about 18,000 kindergarten teachers in Israel, which means that in the event of a split, the education system will have to recruit a huge number of about 40,000 kindergarten teachers and assistants in order to operate all the kindergartens without rotation.
It will also take a huge number of teachers and staff and buildings to make a division into capsules for first and second grades, where about 340,000 children study.
This is a complex logistical plan with economic consequences that will cost many millions.
According to Merom Schiff, chairman of the national parent leadership: “The date of return to educational institutions must be affected by the level of morbidity in the country.
Just as we demanded not to close the education system when the morbidity rates were zero, so we now demand that the decision on the date of return to educational institutions be made on the basis of established and unhesitating morbidity data. "He added that with the abolition of closure And in primary schools, while abolishing the obligation to attend.
"Changes must be made to existing schemes in order to significantly reduce children's exposures to different groups and adults, where the potential for infection is high."
"Finding the balance"
As mentioned, one of the options being considered is to open the education system to the upper grades (Thursday and above) only after Hanukkah.
According to Prof. Ronit Calderon-Margalit, Hadassah School of Public Health, The Hebrew University, "On the one hand, our commitment as a society to children is that they will teach in classrooms in an orderly manner. "In May, eruptions began that heralded the second wave, and for many this is what happened in early September. On the other hand, it is immoral to come to people and tell them to go back to work, but we will not provide you with frameworks for your children.
One of the biggest concerns in the education system is what will happen in the winter, so students will be forced to study in closed and crowded classrooms, with air conditioning systems that could spread the virus.
According to Prof. Nachman Ash, from the Department of Medical Management at Ariel University and a former chief medical officer in the IDF, "there is a situation in which the upper age groups will not go to schools even in winter.
It is possible that seniors, high schools and middle schools are expected to spend several months at home, with distance learning only.
Of course, the big fear is from the winter, in which the corona may grow. "
According to him, the closure is the last resort left: "Returning to school will have to be much more gradual than on September 1."
