Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton on Thursday morning harshly criticized the Health Ministry's decision to place coronavirus inspectors in elementary schools.
"The Health Ministry is creating chaos in the education system. We will not allow it to drag the education system into bedlam," she said.
According to Channel 12 News, the Education Ministry claims that in light of the rise in infection rates, at the beginning of this week the Education Minister begged the Health Ministry to conduct antigen tests in school instead of at places with long lines.
The Health Ministry, for its part, said that it is not prepared to conduct the tests in schools.
"There is no question that the decision to carry out antibody tests in schools is appropriate, correct, necessary, and desirable, since from the outset it stemmed from a request by the Education Minister to carry it out," the Education Ministry said. "However, to our great dismay, with its hasty messages, the Health Ministry is creating complete confusion and chaos, in the educational system as well."
According to them, the Health Ministry apologized to the Education Ministry, and promised to act as soon as possible to decide on a policy for conducting coronavirus tests in schools.
The Health Ministry responded: "The Health Ministry is completely involved in management of the wave of infections, and will not involve itself in mudslinging. Last night it was agreed by the ministries of Health and Education to postpone for a short time the implementation of a process in which antigen tests would be conducted by coronavirus inspectors, in order to ensure the best and fullest preparation in elementary schools. Therefore it was decided that the two ministries will work together immediately to decide on policies relating to the relevant work guidelines for the inspectors, parental approval, and instruction of principals."