First of all, let me say unequivocally: As long as the fire from Gaza continues, the school year will not start in the Merhavim Regional Council. For those who are not familiar with our area, the Merhavim Regional Council is spread out over a large area of about 580,000 dunams (224 square miles). For children, rides to and from school can take up to 40 minutes on roads exposed to mortar and rocket fire. Not only that, but the schools themselves are not fortified. And that is not all. During Operation Protective Edge, a number of rockets have fallen inside or near our education complex. Almost every day, fire from Gaza has been aimed at us. Moreover, the few shelters that exist were built in the 1960s and are not equipped to hold the 3,000 students who study in our schools. I am not willing, in any way, shape or form, to let our students be sitting ducks. As things stand now, the school year will not open as scheduled on Sept. 1. What we will do, until the situation changes, is provide "distance learning" and organize activities for children in shelters in their communities, which will not require travel. This will be a tough and complex task, and probably will not be a complete solution for students, but we have to do it, so parents will be able to go to work knowing their children are engaged in some sort of organized activity. Civilian resilience must not be harmed. This will not be easy, but we will do it. With all due respect, I say to our government ministers sitting in Jerusalem: Please listen to the heads of southern communities, who throughout Operation Protective Edge have given the necessary backing to the government. If we do not feel safe sending our children to school, there is probably a good reason for this. We are on the ground, we understand the situation and we know the students and parents in our areas. Give us credit. We can do the job just as well as officials in Jerusalem. Shai Hajaj is the head of the Merhavim Regional Council.
School won't start on time
מערכת ישראל היום
מערכת "ישראל היום“ מפיקה ומעדכנת תכנים חדשותיים, מבזקים ופרשנויות לאורך כל שעות היממה. התוכן נערך בקפדנות, נבדק עובדתית ומוגש לציבור מתוך האמונה שהקוראים ראויים לעיתונות טובה יותר - אמינה, אובייקטיבית ועניינית.
