The Minister of Education held a press conference today (Monday) at the Ministry of Education, with the participation of the heads of the surrounding authorities: Alon Davidi, Mayor of Sderot, Gadi Yarkoni, Head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Tamir Aidan, Head of the Sdot Negev Regional Council, Yossi Keren MM, Head of the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council and Itamar Rabivo, head of the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council.
During the press conference, Minister of Education Kish presented the main points of the national plan for the rehabilitation and rebuilding of the education system of about 30,000 students from Sderot and the settlements around Gaza – “Education for Revival” which costs about one billion NIS, according to the following distribution:
NIS 250 million for the immediate construction of educational institutions (in the first phase)
NIS 150 million for the extensive construction of additional educational institutions (in the second phase)
600 million NIS for the purpose of formulating an adapted pedagogical program for the students of Sderot and the Gaza Strip
(Meaning: a flexible addition of about 20 thousand NIS for each of the students)
The program focuses on the rehabilitation and construction of both the physical and pedagogical infrastructures: the addition of classrooms, the reduction of the number of students in the class, and the construction of new educational institutions and learning centers: a new center for gifted and outstanding students, a regional support center (MATIA) for students eligible for special education services and the Pascha center For the teaching and education personnel.
The national program also focuses on formulating a unique pedagogical program, which includes a social, educational and informal emotional response, adapted to these students, who had to face hell, destruction and loss in the face of the murderous attack that took place by the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023.
The mayor of Sderot, Alon Davidi, said in the discussion: “Together with the Minister of Education and the professional teams at the Ministry of Education, we are building a coordinated plan to return the municipal education system to normal at a time that will be determined and coordinated with the government, the security system and the IDF so that the children can return to school safely. I thank the Minister of Education Yoav Kish for his attentive ear, for his dedication to the children of the city and his firm stand by us in routine and emergency situations, in allocating resources, diverting many budgets to increase school hours and, of course, the professional sacred work of all the teaching staff in the city, together with the administrators and the staff of the Education Department. Every child in Sderot is a whole world, and we will continue to accompany them, push them to excellence and promote them to success, and this out of personal confidence and concern for their safety.”
Gadi Yarkoni, head of the Eshkol Regional Council said that “Education is the main anchor in building our resilience and communities these days. Along with the establishment from scratch of dozens of educational frameworks in the evacuation centers with the assistance of the Ministry of Education and the receiving authorities, we began to evaluate and plan the next phase, in which the communities will be able to return to the cluster subject to the security situation, with the establishment of a temporary rear school in the council. The Minister of Education and the staff of the Ministry, partner with us hand in hand along the way and understand the importance of continuing the development of the educational facilities in the evacuation centers along with the assessments for the next stage of establishing the school in the council.”
Yossi Keren, head of the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council: “Education is a central anchor and the first indication that the region is starting to return to normal functioning. Without quality and excellent education, which can absorb the students and provide them with a holistic and adapted response, we will not succeed in bringing communities back to the region. Education is the key to everything. I am happy that the country has also adopted our educational concept and together we will be able to build here the best education systems in the world. Thank you to all the education teams of the Negev Gate who do their work in a dedicated and professional manner. Thank you to the Ministry of Education and especially to the Minister of Education, my fellow Minister Yoav Kish, for the joint work. Thanks also to all the government ministries and the Takuma administration for the partnership. The rehabilitation work should be started first and foremost through education. we’re on the right track”.
The head of the Sdot Negev Regional Council, Tamir Aidan, said that “this is important news that comes from an understanding of our need as an authority in the difficult reality we have found ourselves in. The plan of the Ministry of Education was made in full partnership with the Authority and is an inspiration for optimal management that is attentive to the needs of the area with the required dynamism in this period. I want to thank the Minister of Education and his team for leading the ‘Education for Revival’ program and hope that with God’s help we will return to full normality after security is restored to the State of Israel.’
The head of the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council, Itamar Rabivo said that “the important thing now is to give the students and their parents the confidence to return to normal as much as possible, to strengthen the local education systems and the education teams that work tirelessly to give our students an emergency study routine. I thank the Minister of Education Yoav Kish and the Ministry of Education for the support and joint work. To the education teams working on behalf of the evacuated residents, to the government offices and the Takuma Administration for their partnership and determination to help. Only together will we win and get back to normal.”
*The Minister of Education, Yoav Kish, said in the discussion: “We are here for and for the residents of the surrounding area and their representatives, the heads of the authorities. The Ministry of Education under my leadership is committed to giving my children and students the best education in the State of Israel – and so it will be.”
