School Reopening Decisions and the Digital Divide: Highlights from the Knesset Education Committee

Education Minister Yoav Kisch informed the Knesset Education Committee that a final decision regarding the reopening of schools in "Yellow" municipalities will be made this afternoon (Thursday). The proposed plan involves a differential reopening based on local security assessments and Home Front Command directives. The plan is to reopen daycares, special education, and grades 1, 2, 11, and 12 in areas designated as “yellow,” or at lower risk of attacks, by the Home Front Command, provided the schools have shelters.

According to a statement by the minister’s spokesperson, the Ministry expects most of the country to remain at high risk, with schools continuing to operate only remotely. The statement adds that once an area is designated as yellow, it will take 24 hours to organize a return to the classroom and, therefore, schools are not expected to reopen before Monday.

It also says that the minister asked the Home Front Command to move up its assessment to allow schools to get organized to reopen as soon as Sunday, where possible.

Please note, that at this time there are no Yellow areas - the Pikud HaOref has the whole country categorized as Orange.

Distance Learning: According to Ministry of Education data from March 9, approximately 1.1 million students, about 68% of all students (excluding the Haredi sector), participated in online learning. A breakdown of attendance by age shows 74% participation in Middle Schools, 67% in Primary Schools, and 65% in High Schools. These figures do not include the Haredi sector, where distance learning patterns differ. Minister Kisch addressed technical difficulties with the system, stating: "We knew that reaching a million users would cause issues, and we are currently resolving them."

The Digital Divide: Severe Shortage of Computers and Equipment. Troubling figures from a State Comptroller survey (June 2024) were presented to the committee:
Parent Reports: One-third of parents reported that their children lack the basic equipment required for online classes.
Principal & Teacher Reports: Data from school principals paints a harsher picture, showing that in 72% of schools, students lack the necessary tools for distance learning, while 48% of teachers also lack the proper equipment. Since the 2022-23 academic year, the responsibility for purchasing technological equipment and end-user devices was shifted to the schools themselves under the flexible "Gefen" funding program.

High Schoolers Demand Concessions for Bagrut Exams
The National Student Council expressed significant frustration over the uncertainty surrounding the exam schedule. The Council presented a list of requested concessions for students in their matriculation (Bagrut) year, including a 25% increase in exam time, reduced study material (Mikud), more multiple choice questions, and additional exam dates (Moed B). Minister Kisch stated that the Ministry is attentive to these challenges but noted it is still too early to make final decisions on exam delays or broad concessions.