Education Ministry: No decision yet made about school after Passover

Distance learning has proven itself. We have received excellent responses from teachers and students, if the situation persists, we will put in more agenda."

A GROUP of junior high school students are demanding the government fulfill its educational duty to them.  (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
A GROUP of junior high school students are demanding the government fulfill its educational duty to them.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Education Minister Rafi Peretz announced that no decision regarding school studies after Passover has yet been made.
The decision "will be examined later," said Perez in a online press conference held Tuesday morning.
"The Education Ministry is preparing for a continued scenario of distance learning."
Peretz emphasized that the ministry holds a strong stance that the return to learning after Passover should be gradual, "even if it takes a week or two." 
In addition, he said that special needs education will receive different treatment than the rest of the education system.
"Distance learning has proven itself. We have received excellent responses from teachers and students, if the situation persists, we will put in more agenda," he said. 
Some services for special needs learning will go in to effect on Wednesday, as they are being treated as a separate matter.
"In the past few days, we have mapped out all of the special need children," said Peretz. "We organized a meeting with the Health Ministry in order to establish a safe procedure for clarifying how to reach the students at their homes to provide them services."
When asked how distance learning will be paid for, he said that it "needs to be paid for, period. That was the stance of the Education Ministry from the beginning of the outbreak." Additionally, he said that a directive was issued to reduce to a minimum the payments that parents are making. 
He finished the press conference noting the difficult times the coronavirus has brought upon the country. "Passover with a small family unit is not pleasant, but we hope to get through it. In this crisis, beautiful sides have emerged, such as the community coming together in solidarity."