Health Minister Edelstein admitted: it was a mistake to prefer the malls over education

This coming Sunday, classes will be resumed in grades 5-6 as well as 11-12 in green, yellow and orange cities where more than 70% are vaccinated, but 7th-10th graders will continue to be at home - at least until March 7, 11 Days before the beginning of the Passover holiday.
Teachers, parents, children and educators from all over the country harshly criticized the decision that remained: "Opening malls and commerce before the education system symbolizes the importance of the education system and Israeli students in the eyes of the political echelon. Shame and disgrace."
Ahead of tonight's debate on the issue, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with the participation of Defense, Health, Education and National Security Council Ministers, hope has arisen among many parents and children, but it vanished after the decision was rejected at this stage due to strong opposition from Health Minister Edelstein and Prof. Prof. Ash.
Education Minister Yoav Galant proposed at the hearing to open the entire education system in green and yellow cities, including grades 7-10, which are not included in the exit plan approved by the cabinet, which has a number of about 300,000 in these cities. "It doesn't make sense that instead of going to school, students cross the road to the other side and go to the mall," Galant said. "It's not that they're at home, they're not closed. Everything is open except their classrooms."

Health Minister Edelstein admitted at the hearing that it was a mistake to prefer the malls over education. "As a former educator, I understand the importance of education," he said.
Defense Minister Bnei Gantz proposed a compromise: consider opening half-classes or capsules in these classes. He noted the increase in the number of green and yellow cities due to the decrease in morbidity.
The Prime Minister stated that he understood Galant's struggle and even appreciated it, but did not want to decide on the matter and sent the Ministry of Health officials to conduct further staff work on the matter. He asked, for example, to examine why in the UK it was decided to close the entire education system by April.
The Prime Minister's Office said at the end of the discussion that "in light of the relatively wide opening of the economy that could lead to an increase in morbidity, and given concerns about the impact of the British mutation and increased infection of unvaccinated children and youth, it was decided to adopt a cautious approach."
The students, parents and teachers hoped yesterday that the Corona cabinet would change its decision and announce the return to the classes of 7th-10th grade students this coming Sunday, and were disappointed with the results of the discussion.
At this stage, as with all the closures imposed so far, this time as well, students in grades 7-10 will have to wait for a return to frontal learning in schools and in the meantime - will continue learning online in Zoom. According to a Corona cabinet decision reached about two weeks ago, they will wait at least until March 7th. 11 days later, the Passover holiday is expected to begin.
Menashe Levy, chairman of the Association of Secondary School Principals, called the decision "cowardly."
Levy continued to attack: "Opening malls and commerce before the education system symbolizes the importance of the education system and Israeli students in the eyes of the political echelon. Shame and disgrace. I hope the Israeli government recovers, convenes and makes the right decision. Learning in capsules. "
The mayor of Beit Shemesh, Aliza Bloch, noted the concerns about "mental corona" among the children. "I fear the socio-mental corona of seventh-tenth graders, no less than the fear of the health corona," she said.
"It was right to create a balance between learning in space, a capsule-based session at school, and completing through the zoom. These age groups are not actually learning from the beginning of the year, students feel abandoned and it was important to bring that consideration into decision making."
The deputy chair of the national parents' leadership, Odelia Schindroff, said in light of the situation: "Do not believe that on Sunday most of the economy in Israel will return to normalcy and sanity, and we parents had a reasonable expectation that education comes first. You made us laugh. A normal country? Making reasonable decisions? "In Israel, it is right to open shopping centers, work out in gyms, consume for culture and even go to sports classes - but the children of the divisions and tenth grades will remain at home, in solitude."
"The Israeli government is criminal against these strata, it is impervious to the cry of the children, to their social and emotional distress," Schindrop continued, "What else needs to happen for them to understand the magnitude of the damage? What disaster must happen here? Not with us.
"The Israeli government does not open a gate of hope for them," she added, "the unwillingness to reach out and join forces with teachers' organizations and the local authority, the inability to release centralism is a disaster and a crime against children. The decision not to escape is only an escape from reality." If you do not listen to us, the parents, then listen to the professionals, to the heads of the authorities, to the psychologists - to those who put the child at the center. "