P.M Netanyahu and Education Minister Galant announced: school year will be extended until August

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Yoav Galant announced last night (Sunday) that schooling will continue in July, but did not present a clear outline for this. The students are outraged and the student council said: "We have been stuck in the same place for almost a year and the solution in your opinion is to extend this year further?
Parents and teachers were left confused, wondering if it was an election announcement, or a decision the system could stand. The guiding principle in the outline that should be formulated by the Ministry of Education and presented today, is that only teachers who are interested in teaching will do so, for a salary increase, similar to the "school of great freedom" format. In previous years it was customary up to third grades, and now the outline will, as promised, include grades one to eleven.
Netanyahu said last night: "The Minister of Education and I bring an outline of principle for extending the school year until July. We must give children the opportunity to make up for what they have missed. We will take care of teachers' rights, we will make full payment for them, it is up to me."
The intention is that in the additional month they will deal with enrichment and core subjects in which gaps have been created, similar to the completion studies that are held every year as well. One of the questions that arises from the outline is why to hold it in July, and not in August - and thus create a continuum of study before the Tishrei holidays (Rosh Hashana falls on September 6, so that only three full study days remain at the beginning of next year).
Education Minister Yoav Galant said: "The eruption of the corona has changed world order in both Israel and the education system. The prolonged closures have created gaps and we are ordered to close them. For me, Israeli students are the most important thing and I am 100 percent convinced that I represent every family in Israel from every sector and place "It has been a very complex year. For several months now, the director general of the Ministry of Education, together with a team of dedicated ministry personnel and other factors, have been instructing me to build a picture of the situation in order to close the gaps. Today we are announcing the first part of a four-part program, all of which are designed to close the gaps - the entire month of July will be in full-time format. "
The heads of the two teachers' organizations have already emphasized that for them the school year will end on time. "The position of the Teachers 'Union has not changed - the school year will end in middle schools on June 20, in kindergartens and elementary schools on June 30," clarified the secretary general of the Teachers' Union, Yaffa Ben-David. The post-primary school year will end on June 20. " However he added: "I call and ask the teachers to pick them up and come in July to close the gaps."
Moreover, after the press conference, it also became clear that although Finance Minister Israel Katz participated in it, the Ministry of Finance was not involved in the program. Our correspondent Gad Lior updated that no check was made on how much the plan will cost and where the budget will come from.
Education Ministry Director General Amit Edri said students and teaching supporters would be recruited if not enough teachers responded to the program.
The National Student and Youth Council also reacted to developments angrily: "We have been stuck in place for almost a year and the solution in your opinion is to extend this year further? The damage has already been done, a time has long passed. Instead of future solutions, decision makers choose to cling to nails this year. Slipping between their fingers to between the chairs. This is not the way. "Defense Minister Bnei Gantz responded:" Months that we are pushing the completion of school days and in the end we will make a move that is an election campaign with nothing behind it. Netanyahu, you play a cynical game with Israeli children. Real, budgeted and coordinated and no longer pike an improvised and embarrassing plan. "