Back to school: Israel seeks approval in September

• SAL EMERGUI

  @salemergui

  Jerusalem

Thursday, 13 August 2020 - 23:44

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• Pandemic. Resurgence of cases in Israel after successfully containing the first wave: "We reopen everything too quickly"

With the suspended lesson of the rapid de-escalation in May in its backpack, Israel is preparing to return to school under the great uncertainty marked by the re-outbreak of the virus and the political crisis. "The school year will begin on September 1. Period", announces the Minister of Education, Yoav Galant , given the doubts raised by the general director of the Ministry of Health, Hezi Levy, about the reopening of secondary school.

Galant presented the plan for the opening of 25,800 educational centers in a country facing an intense second wave of Covid-19 after successfully overcoming the first. "It will not be a perfect and normal return," admits the minister and former general who instead of soldiers has 2.4 million students under his responsibility. It cannot be normal given the high number of infections since June (1,612 new cases were registered this Wednesday) and the memory of the not-so-distant month of May, when the educational system resumed its activities with more confidence than caution, causing the spread of the virus with a thousand infected among teachers and students.

School openness is also vital to avoid puncturing the wheels that try to get the bad economy out of the mud. The ministry's program plans to add 13,000 teachers and assistants, distribute 144,000 computers and 60,000 mobiles to guarantee classes over the Internet.

While the little ones will have to go to the center in a "conventional" way, from the age of eight they will study in groups of a maximum of 18 students. From 10 to 18 years old, they will divide their five school days (instead of the usual six) between the classrooms (two days) with a mandatory mask and health distance and the houses (three). The online classes will once again test the concentration of the kids and the patience and authority of the parents caught between the virus on the streets and video games in their homes.

Interviewed by ELMUNDO.es, the professor of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Dr. Hagai Levine , affirms that "the risk of mortality or serious illness among minors is very low and the return to the classroom is vital for the development of children and their families. That said, we still do not know exactly what the contribution of schools is to outbreaks throughout the population. "

Levine advises Ronni Gamzu, director of the Ijilov Hospital and, since last July 23, in charge of centralizing Israel's management in the face of the pandemic. "I propose a new contract with society to ensure that citizens have confidence in the authorities. We will not approve limitations without logic. We will cut the chain of contagions trying not to close the economy. Minimum limitations and maximum discipline of citizenship," announced Gamzu, championing the so-called Traffic Light Program in which the Israeli geography is divided into colors depending on the regrowth. "We have 20 red cities, with Jerusalem at the top. We can control and reduce the number of infections, but it depends on the awareness of the inhabitants," he adds in a country that since March has had 643 deaths. In July, mortality was five times higher than in June .

After shooting the number of infections to 2,000 per day in July, the goal is to reach 400 infected per day by the end of August. Levine advises "to open the school year but wisely. According to our traffic light system, surely we cannot open schools in cities marked in red." "This virus has taught us that we cannot predict what will happen in two or three months," admits the Minister of Health, Yuli Edelstein.

From teacher to apprentice

In the same way that the world tried in March to learn the successful Israeli model for containing the virus (quick decisions about air lockdown and confinement or the effective use of technological methods), it is now looking to other countries. The precipitous return to normalcy - due to desperate economic pressure and the unusual optimism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - "go out with caution and have a good time," he urged - also included schools, where they were not exempt from outbreaks.

"When the educational system opened its doors on May 17, the rate of the disease was low. But we must take into account, here and in Spain, something more important and that is to return to school reducing the risk of contagion. It is advisable to do so in small groups of no more than 18 or 20 students, be obliged to wear a mask from a certain age, increase hygiene and cleanliness, implement remote study, ensure safety at meeting points and student transportation ... "Levine adds.

A lesson for other countries? "Do not ignore the risks and try to plan intelligently and cautiously to reduce them. It also depends on each one, since the importance of the use of masks and distance has been demonstrated."

Galant expects school closures to curb the chain of infections to be minimal. In the summer camps for around 700,000 children, the percentage of sick people was very low. In kindergartens, 297, which represented 0.55% of the country, while among children up to 10 years, 1.31%.

Added to the virus, the experience of May and the possibility that the struggle between Netanyahu and his government partner Benny Gantz will end in new elections without the approval of the budget is added the usual shadow of each August: the threat of a teacher strike. Hence, children, teachers, officials and parents rush their last days before facing their most uncertain exam.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

• Israel
• Benny gantz
• Benjamin Netanyahu
• Coronavirus
• Covid 19

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