The upcoming school year will be a "special year", featuring meaningful reform and the investment of great resources, Education Minister Yuli Tamir said as nearly 1.5 million students prepared to go back to school Monday at more than 4,000 educational institutions nationwide.
"There is a sense of real change in the air," Tamir said ahead of the opening of the school year, as 129,520 teachers also prepare to return to the classroom.
Education Crisis
Parents to keep kids home over school hazards / Ynet
New school year may encounter bumpy start as various parents' associations plan to keep children at home in protest of schools' rundown condition, safety hazards
The upcoming school year will feature the implementation of the "Ofek Hadash" (New Horizon) reform at many schools, yet not all teacher groups agreed to join the initiative yet. However, Minister Tamir told Ynet that she would be happy to make progress on this front once the school year opens.
"We know we need to complete the move, yet we must understand that we embarked on reform that will take at least three years," she said. "Overall, this year will open smoothly."
However, despite the optimistic words, the festive mood has been marred by potential school strikes across the nation. The situation room in the Education Ministry in Jerusalem has already received numerous calls regarding expected strikes in the first day of school.
Officials at the situation room who spoke to concerned parents included Education Minister Tamir as well as Education Ministry Director General Shulamit Amichai. As of Sunday evening, strikes were feared at 49 schools, potentially affecting roughly 20,000 students. However, at least some of the strikes were expected to be averted.
The situation room will reopen at 6:30 am Monday. The phone number is: 1212-234567.
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