Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to deliberate with health and education officials Monday on plans to partially reopen Israel’s education system.
While the government approved the limited reopening of the special education system, beginning last week, kindergartens, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools remain shuttered.
A new plan would permit kindergartens to reopen, along with elementary schools, from first through third grade, as well as high schools.
Ahead of the meeting set for Monday, the director of the Prime Minister’s office, Ronen Peretz, and the deputy chief of Israel’s National Security Council Eitan Ben-David held a serious of preliminary meetings on the possible reopening of Israeli schools.
Education Minister Rafi Peretz (Yamina) also took part in the meetings, along with Education Ministry director-general Shmuel Abuav, as well as representatives of the Health Ministry and the Finance Ministry.
During Monday’s meeting, the prime minister will be presented with the Education Ministry’s plan for reopening the school system, as well as alternative plans.
Under the Education Ministry’s plan, studies will be resumed in full for grades one through three, starting Sunday, May 3rd.
Kindergartens will also resume operation, though with only half of the children permitted to attend. Kindergarteners will be divided into two groups, with the two groups alternating attendance during the week.
According to a report by Kan Monday morning which cited several government ministers, Prime Minister Netanyahu remains undecided whether to allow a partial reopening of schools next week, and if so, in what way to permit the reopening.
Netanyahu had previously set a two-week trial period for the loosening of restrictions which began last week. The prime minister said that if the spread of the coronavirus resurges during the two-week trial period, he would restore the more stringent restrictions. According to the sources cited in Monday’s report, the prime minister is unsure whether to permit the reopening of schools before the two-week trial period ends.