2.5 million students in Israel begin new school year today

More than 2.5 million students began the new school year this morning (Monday) in schools and kindergartens across Israel.

Among them, 180,600 students are entering first grade, and 149,000 students are starting 12th grade, expected to complete their studies in the education system this year.

The Ministry of Education updated the lack of teachers, which now stands at 488, including 216 in core subjects. These figures do not reflect the reduction in lesson hours from school schedules that has taken place due to the shortage of teachers and homeroom educators.

In addition, it was reported this week by KAN News that four more senior officials in the Ministry of Education announced their resignation just before the start of the school year. Two national supervisors of English instruction, appointed less than a year ago, announced their immediate departure — leaving the ministry without any supervisor for English studies.

As in previous years, localized issues and parental strikes occurred in several cities, where parents protested problems in the education system. Furthermore, teenagers in dozens of high schools threatened to strike this morning in solidarity with the hostages, staging protests at school gates.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch stated last night, at the opening of the ministry’s operations center, that strikes are unacceptable to him, and any student who is absent will be marked as missing.

In addition, the National Parents’ Council called on parents to send their children to school wearing yellow shirts as a sign of solidarity with the hostages. Kisch responded, “I ask that we adhere to the school uniform policy. The color white is festive and symbolizes unity and hope.”

Before the school year began, there were concerns about insufficient funding for school security, which threatened to delay the opening of the year. After a dispute between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of National Security, a 0.6% across-the-board budget cut was approved to provide funding for school security for the upcoming year.

The approved budget ensures that the school year will begin as scheduled, in a protected and safe environment. All ministers voted in favor of the cut, except Ministers Orit Strock and Ofir Sofer, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who was absent from the meeting.