Education Minister Rabbi Rafi Peretz (Yamina) on Monday afternoon spoke about a plan which would allow schools to gradually reopen and resume classes.
The government has not yet made a decision regarding when schools will reopen, but the Education Ministry has drafted a plan which will be implemented when the decision is made to reopen schools.
Rabbi Peretz said: "The options are based on the principle that distance learning will continue for a long while, and will supplement the physical learning, with students learning in small groups and also learning online. We have two main goals: Educational efficacy - in order to provide as complete an education as possible; and economic efficiency - to allow parents to work, and allow the economy to recover."
"The draft's working model differentiates by age group: preschools, elementary, middle schools, and high schools. Students will be split into small and set groups, to prevent infection between the groups. There will be set teachers for each group, and teachers for distance learning. The teachers will receive a set and comprehensive schedule, so that the smaller groups' learning can be synchronized as much as possible with their distance learning."
The classes will learn in shifts, in all of the learning areas in the schools: classrooms, courtyard, libraries, and gyms. "The schedule we have created will provide each student with a set and clear schedule which begins with socializing in the mornings, continues with a lot of learning, and ends with socializing at the end of the day," Rabbi Peretz said.
"This is a challenging and complicated time, and the emergency guidelines are unbending, but there is no doubt that when acting correctly, systematically, and in an orderly fashion, we can successfully get through this time.
"It is important to continue following Health Ministry guidelines, even now. Until now, the citizens of Israel had acted in an exemplary fashion, following the guidelines. We must continue this way, since coronavirus is still spreading, and it is important to strictly adhere to the guidelines."