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By Itzhak Rabihiya

The school year begins after teachers' union, which was threatening to strike on September 1 over pay dispute, agree the terms of sick days and pensions with the Finance Ministry at the last minute

The new academic year has kicked off in Israel on Sunday with over 2,000,000 children of all ages starting school after a teachers’ strike planned for September 1 has been averted at the last minute.

The beginning of the school year was clouded with uncertainty until late Friday over a pay dispute between the Finance Ministry and the Israel Teachers’ Union, which was resolved after the terms of teachers’ sick days and a new pensions formula have been agreed upon.

According to the latest statistics, some 333,000 children entered preschool, 190,000 began kindergarten while at least 168,000 have begun the primary education by entering the first grade.

In addition, some 296,000 children started the upper secondary stage of their education by entering middle school while around 461 students have kicked off the last stage of their secondary education by starting high school.

The months of September usually falls on the Hebrew month of Tishrei, which is replete with several prominent Jewish holidays, leaving the children with many days off right at the start of the school year. This year, however, Tishrei holidays begin at the tail end of September, allowing children a full month of uninterrupted studying.

"It seems that the new school year is opening as a celebration of education," said President Reuven Rivlin this morning, Sunday 1 September to the special education students who welcomed him with songs and flags at the new Dvir school in Jerusalem where he opened the 2019-20 / 5780 school year. The president was accompanied on his visit by Mayor of Jerusalem Moshe Lion and school principal Renana Yitzhakov.

The new Dvir school has 30 students aged 6-21 from Jerusalem and the surrounding area, with a wide spectrum of physical and developmental needs, and different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. The curriculum is individually tailored to each student's developmental stage through experiential and multi-sensory learning. As students approach school-leaving age, emphasis is placed on life training and preparation for employment so that graduates are as independent as possible.

The president took part in the first lesson of the Shoshan class, where the president and the students began the school year together by braiding challot and planting flowers in their new classroom. They then took part in a ceremony held in the school hall, also attended by students from the nearby Seligsberg high school, who will work with the students of Dvir throughout the year.

 From there, the president made his way to Gush Etzion for the opening of the school year at Yeshivat Machanaim, where Dvir Sorek ז"ל, studied. The president was accompanied by the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Shlomo Vilk.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning (Sunday, 1 September 2019), together with Education Minister Rafi Peretz, at the state religious Kramim School in Elkana, attended a ceremony to mark the start of the 2019-2020 school year and gave a lesson to first grade pupils.

Following is an excerpt of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s remarks at the ceremony: “We are building new homes here. This is a new home that is an old home. This is the old, original home of the Jewish people and we will build more in Elkana. We will not uproot anyone here. There will be no more Gush Katif; there will be no more uprooting, and with G-d’s help we will apply Jewish sovereignty over all communities as part of the land of Israel and the State of Israel.

I wish you a lively and successful school year. Learn, study and read. I want you to read books, many books. May you all have a good and successful year.”

Afterwards, Prime Minister Netanyahu dedicated the Yoni Netanyahu School for Excellence and spoke with pupils at the Ort Samaria High School for Girls in Elkana.

Attached photo credit: Mark Neiman (GPO)