Rocket preparedness drill (file)
Rocket preparedness drill (file)Israel news photo: Flash 90

Israeli children will have the opportunity to learn a new lesson on Thursday as they practice moving briskly to their bomb shelters and hiding from rockets in as many other safe spaces as possible.

The Ministry of Education is holding the nationwide exercise in kindergartens and schools to test the preparedness of every educational institution in Israel in the event of a rocket or missile attack while children are playing outside during recess.

The drill, announced quietly to students in their classrooms earlier in the week, will be held in religious institutions as well as in the public school sector, starting at 10:00 a.m.

“Those of you who have either been through a rocket attack before, or have had a family member injured in one, may want to talk to the school counselor this afternoon,” a principal suggested to students at a girls’ school in one southern city that absorbed intense missile fire in last November’s Pillar of Defense conflict with Gaza terrorists.

“This drill does not mean there will be a war,” she told the girls in a soothing voice. “But it is important to always be prepared, and part of knowing that we are protected from Above as well as here on the ground, is doing our utmost to make good use of the tools we are blessed with.

“That is what these exercises are all about,” she explained, a source present at the students’ assembly told Arutz Sheva.

The schools’ rocket preparedness exercise is expected to last until approximately 12:00 noon, and will be conducted by personnel from Home Front Command, Israel Police, Magen David Adom emergency medical service and local Fire Departments.