More than two-million-three-hundred-thousand school and kindergarten students are expected to open the upcoming school year, along with some 201,000 teaching staff employed in the education system.
About 168,000 first-grade students will take their first steps in the education system this year, along with about 132,000 12th-grade students who will finish their 12-year school education this year.
According to a statement by Education Minister Rabbi Rafi Peretz, the school year will be dedicated to "Mutual Responsibility", and in light of this, schools will engage and connect sectors and different groups in society and strengthen mutual responsibility and sense of belonging and resilience in all parts of Israeli society.
Special emphasis will be placed on strengthening ties with the Diaspora, and connecting students in Israel with Jewish students from all over the world. The program will include all educational bodies in the country - schools and civil society bodies such as: youth movements, student councils, pre-military prep schools, community centers, and local authorities.
At the beginning of the year, all schools will receive a training and activity kit that will address the issue of mutual responsibility from different angles, including incorporating the topic into the curriculum in all subjects and disciplines. A number of events will be held throughout the year to implement the theme, such as: the first candle of Hanukkah, the diaspora march in Jerusalem that will integrate youth from all over the world with youth from Israel. Youth movements will run training sessions around the topic of mutual responsibility and all summer activities will be dedicated to the topic. The "Meetings" program will combine youth of all sectors - state, religious, haredi, and Arab.
In addition, during the year, the Ministry will promote a series of programs: dealing with pedagogical innovation, promoting academic achievement, education to values, and extending services to teaching staff.
Education Minister Rabbi Rafi Peretz said, "In this era, the challenges are large and complex, so our work does not end at the end of the school day. The role of the system in accompanying the student and molding his personality outside the school walls is crucial. We want to create a moral, human-loving society here that raises on its banner the value of mutual responsibility, and so the central theme I chose for the year is Mutual Responsibility.
"As part of the theme, we will run a series of state events that will bring together students from all parts of Israeli society to strengthen the relationship and identification with each other. Another issue I will promote is the transition from daycare to the Education Ministry. The transition is essential, and I am confident that the Education Ministry will be able to contribute its vast experience in advancing this important task, of course, accompanied by a government decision and the necessary budgetary additions,” he added.
Ministry Director General Shmuel Abuhav noted that the education system is on the upswing: "Alongside the national programs that we've begun to promote, we'll incorporate pedagogical innovation in the coming year. We will expand the number of schools with innovative learning environments, renovate the libraries, and get the children to study in learning spaces outside of the classroom. We will incorporate new skills that fit the 21st century within the curriculum and train the graduate to the future job market. We will extend digital services to students, teachers, and administrators, and continue to promote academic achievement. But at the same time, we will deepen the values. We will continue to increase the number of trainees in youth movements, youth organizations, and schools. I wish principals, teachers, and students a fruitful and successful school year."