Israeli children get ready to start school (illustrative)
Israeli children get ready to start school (illustrative)Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Education Minister Naftali Bennett managed to avert a teachers' strike this year, and all schools will open on time Tuesday, the first day of school in Israel. But he hasn't been able to prevent a parents' strike – which several schools in the center of the country will be experiencing, as parents keep their children home from school because of “serious safety problems” in some of the schools.

Among the problems, said parents at the schools in the Tel Mond, Netanya, Holon, and other schools where strikes will take place, are major sewage issues, as well as a lack of personnel to guard students when class is in session.

According to parents in all the schools, the problems have been going on for months, long before the end of the previous school year. Parents and students have complained numerous times, but instead of repairing the problems over the summer, the schools did nothing – and now parents intend to keep their kids home until the problems are fixed.

Education Ministry and local school officials were meeting with parents Monday night to persuade them to send their children to school Tuesday, promising to deal with the issues as soon as possible.