The national parent leadership shuts down the schools for one hour Friday

The national parent leadership will shut down the school for one hour tomorrow in dozens of localities, protesting the special education reform being led by the Ministry of Education, and is expected to hit students with special needs.
The strike was aimed at identifying families with special needs children and calling for a fight against the Education Ministry's decision. However, the parents 'committees in many localities announced that they would not join the strike, and that they would be studying as usual, because of family day activities and not to harm the parents' routine on Fridays. For example, the parents in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem decided not to join the protest. On the other hand, the parents in Netanya, Haifa and Beer Sheva will delay their studies for an hour.
In some cases, the parents' committees in non-striking localities decided to hold informational activities for the parents, or hang signs against the reform. For example, in Ra'anana, Hod Hasharon and Metula, the parents' committees announced that they would not join the strike, but that various information campaigns would take place.
The Ministry of Education initiated the reform during Naftali Bennett's term as Minister of Education, with the aim of saving the budget transferred to special education students. At the same time, incorporate more students from special schools and special classes into regular education. It is being implemented from the current school year throughout the Northern Region, and is expected to be implemented throughout the country later. As part of the reform, the Ministry of Education will close small classrooms designed for special education students, reducing the number of learners in special education institutions, and integrating students into regular classrooms.
According to organizations that help children and families with special needs, education experts, some of the local authorities, parents, teachers and administrators - the reform will hurt the entire education system: the special education students, whose scope of assistance will be reduced, as well as teachers who have not received enough training and assistance to treat students. The parent leadership recently launched a joint fight in reform, along with the Teachers' Union representing kindergartners, teachers and principals in the elementary and middle schools and the EAW organization.
According to the parents' leadership, "integration of special education children is a supreme value, but the Ministry of Education's duty to train teaching staff is a challenge. The warning protest stems from fear of the collapse of the education system because the ministry plans to cut special education budgets."
Among the organizations opposed to the reform are the Teachers' Union, which represents teachers in primary and middle schools; Teachers' Organization; The School Administrators Association, which represents the principals in the elementary schools; And the Local Authorities Education Departments Association. Opponents of reform represent the most important bodies in the education system and are the ones who are supposed to implement it in the field.
In the following communities, the strike will take place and their studies will begin at all educational institutions at 09:00 instead of 08:00: Even Yehuda, Ofakim, Alfei Menashe, Ariel, Be'er Sheva, Buqata, Dalit El Carmel, Ashkelon Beach, Haifa, Tirat Carmel, Zichron Ya'akov, Yehud-Monosson, Mevaseret Zion, Lev Hasharon Regional Council, Mette Yehuda Regional Council, Merhavim Regional Council, Ashkelon Coastal Regional Council, Maale Adumim, Netanya, Nesher, Asfiya, Afula, Kiryat Ono, Kiryat Ata, Kiryat Gat, Kiryat Tivon , Kiryat Malachi and that they are.
The Ministry of Education, which opposes parental measures, has announced that it will hold schooling in any case as usual. The ministry said: "The amendment to the entire special education law benefits the parents and the students. It is at their disposal. Freedom of choice in choosing the educational institution also gives the student a larger budget basket.
"The basket allows the student to receive a wide range of answers, such as occupational therapists or art therapy or communication clinicians. The treatments will be done in bridal spaces that the office will build specifically. To that end, the ministry has added another NIS 1.3 billion this year. The facts indicate that there is no flow of special education students As usual, seeing the implementation of the law in the Northern District, points to data and a completely different reality. "
Regarding the issue of training, here, too, the Ministry of Complaints claims to be unfounded: "Beyond the training that the teacher will pass, he has at his disposal a professional team to accompany him and provide him with the necessary therapeutic responses.