On video: the teachers' demonstration (photo: Yotam Ronan)
13 years ago, Israela Chakol entered the Branko Weiss school in Ramla for the first time as a 10th grade student.
She was greeted by the director Hili Trooper, later the Minister of Culture and Sports.
Until it, she moved between settings, dropping out of one and moving to another, and there she found a home where she continues to live to this day, as a teacher and educator.
"Magic happens there, complete faith in a new page," she says.
Thousands of students walked through the classrooms and hallways of the Last Chance High School, as it was called in Ben Shani's movie.
Many of them took that opportunity to redirect their lives to a better path.
But it is possible that those who study it this year will be the last.
Despite the uniqueness and the impressive educational achievements it reached, even compared to other schools of a similar type, the municipality decided to close it - and give the building to another institution.
"Our school won a tender this summer for the next five years, but the municipality decided to close it already because of the mayor's promise of elections to the residents of a certain neighborhood," Chekol claimed in a conversation with Walla!.
According to her, the municipality did not allow the students to enroll in high school for two years and sent them to other institutions.
Thus the school remains, according to the municipality, with an insufficient number of students.
"Now the municipality has an excuse - there are no students."
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"A political event that crushes the students".
Graduate and teacher of the school, Israela Chakol (photo: courtesy of the photographers)
"There are four high schools in Ramla that cater to extreme youth. In terms of our achievements, we are the best, whether in terms of matriculation eligibility, educational climate or dropout prevention," she boasted.
Last summer Chakol and the school staff received confirmation of this, with his winning an award of excellence from the Ministry of Education.
"None of this matters. This is purely a political event, which comes at the expense of the children and crushes them."
By her side stood teachers, students and graduates of the school, who decided to embark on an existential struggle.
Over two thousand people have already signed a petition that they started against the closing of the school.
"This is my last stop as a student in the education system in Israel," said Tal Zarfati, an 11th grader. "This is my fifth school.
If they close it, I probably will, and this is the direction of many, many students.
There is no other school like this in the area, which puts the mental health of the students first, who know each student deeply.
No matter how hard I tried - and I tried - I was not given the option to give up.
The first day I came to register, the principal and my teacher told me that I was important, that they cared.
Many promised, but only they delivered."
Chekol expresses similar sentiments, from the other side of the fence.
"We created a special relationship with the students. Not just a teacher, but a central part of their lives - a psychologist, a sociologist, a doctor and a lawyer. We can go in the morning to get them from home if necessary. These are children, many of whom have emotional and social problems. They miscarried between the chairs. The closure can be devastating for them."
Now the municipality has an excuse - there are no students.
The school in Ramla (Photo: Flash 90, Yossi Aloni)
As part of the struggle, the different generations of Branko flooded the web with posts describing the meaning of the place for them.
This is not by chance - the school continues to serve as a meeting place for graduates as well, who come for workshops and professional and academic guidance.
"We create a community," defines the high school staff.
"At that time, there was a lot of talk about the place. It was considered a place for at-risk children, a violent place, a place for personal deterioration. During my three years of study, I had quite a few difficulties - providing for a house, feeding a sick mother, keeping up with schoolwork, and managing a personal life. But the teachers Make sure I don't give up, with hard work and a special personal relationship. First of all, take care of how I feel. Even today, this is the safe place I go to," the school graduate wrote.
MK Trooper who ran the school: "A special high school, it was like a home for me"
In 2005, five years after the high school was founded, Trooper, then a young educator, was appointed to head it up and march it forward.
"Barco Weis Ramla High School is closing and it makes me sad," he wrote this week.
"This is a special high school, which for me as a former principal and for many others it was home for years. Even after we finished teaching or studying there, it still remains a home to return to."
Trooper asked to support the alumni fighting against its closure.
"They move me with their care and commitment to the place. I still hope that a way will be found to leave the school open despite the difficulties, and above all I know that Ramla needs to make sure that all the city's children have a place that will give them a real opportunity to succeed and fly high and far," he concluded.
The Ramla Municipality stated in response that "there are about 15 Ramla students left at the Branco Weiss school for the next academic year. According to the Ministry of Education's guidelines, the school is not feasible. For each remaining student, the orientation will be made and the appropriate suit will be made for him in order to lead him to the end of 12 years of schooling with A certificate, good luck. Regarding the building itself, the matter is under consideration by the mayor. The considerations for closing a school were carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, and are purely pedagogical considerations."
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