Already in the Torah, the nickname was attached to us: 'A stiff-necked people.' This means that our necks are always caught in a way that doesn't allow us to turn our heads and look back. COVID was here, and we refuse to remain foolish, obtuse, or complacent; we must look back and draw lessons.

There is no doubt that this war is justified, yet we cannot afford for it to end before we have actually learned and applied its lessons. For this, national resilience and active civic partnership are required. It seems to me that the leaders of the state have not paid attention to, or understood, how much the well-being of our children and one activity or another of the education system can affect resilience and the ability to endure.

The story of the education system is not just the story of the Ministry of Education; it is a story of national value, especially in a prolonged war—certainly for children who experienced the Corona pandemic and the recent war.

1. Civilian Cabinet – The various bodies are not synchronized. There is not a single system in which Home Front Command representatives sit together with representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Education, and the Economy. Work must be synchronized so that decisions take into account the needs of the economy, the work of parents, and educational frameworks for children. Compensation tracks must also be adapted to the question of opening educational frameworks.
2. Time for Decentralization – Reality is complex. There is no single correct answer. The time has come to allow mayors to manage the education system in their own cities. The idea that a war can be managed through a ministry headquarters in Jerusalem is mistaken. Transferring authority to mayors will help tailor treatment, create accessible responses, and implement actionable plans. Decentralizing the education system so that mayors and principals design the content and form of learning is a necessary condition for the education system to thrive, and not only in times of emergency. The current structure of the Ministry of Education was created when the state was founded, when the number of students and schools was much smaller.
3. Our children are experiencing complex experiences: As the chairman of the ELEM, I was only informed this morning of the report from our wonderful team in Kiryat Shmona. Shahar (a pseudonym) started working; his mother's business is struggling and someone needs to bring money home. Shira (a pseudonym) moved to sleep in a shelter near her house. Her sister is disabled and they don't have the ability to go out and find a shelter quickly. Thus, she moved to "live" in a public shelter. These children have already been evacuated from their homes for a year and a half. Other children wake up two or three times every night; some of them are required to go down to a public shelter. Even justified wars have prices. These children and youth will need treatment. Don't say we didn't know!

   
   Allocate a "Treatment Basket" or "Support Basket" now to be assigned to every student in the education system.

    

4. First, a "treatment basket" or "support basket" must already be allocated to every student in the education system. Local authorities, school principals, and parents will formulate a tailored plan. The programs prepared now will be activated immediately upon the return of the education system.
5. The Minister of Education and the Minister of Finance must announce right now the expansion of summer camps for all kindergarten children and elementary school students, and not just for students in grades 1-3.

6. Right now, funding must be provided to associations, organizations, and youth movements to expand supportive activities during the summer vacation. Activities like these require preparation; if not now, then when?

Until then, I wish to turn to the parents. Please, sit today even more with your children; formulate a regular family schedule together: wake-up time, daily chores, going out for a walk together, a daily phone call to Grandpa or Grandma. You can also start helping with Passover cleaning.