(lives here with parents)- Along with parents of students in Leo Buck who have already announced that they do not intend to return their children to study in the high school building, due to the asbestos removal project, there is also a large group of parents who support the management and the professionals and believe that in a few weeks and subject of course to proper tests, it will be possible to return to study in the renovated building.
"The division into parents who 'care about their children' and parents who are 'indifferent' does us an injustice... those whose position differs from the position of the committee are silenced and even removed from the discussion groups," they say to Hai Fa.
Act according to the law
As I recall, for the past two months asbestos has been removed from the ceiling of Leo Buck High School. In 2011 Israel passed a regulation according to which within 10 years the asbestos must be removed from all public buildings. Leo Buck's management checked how the removal could be carried out in the safest way and took care of financing for the works that cost millions of shekels. It should be noted that many believe that it would have been better to leave the asbestos because the brittle asbestos is very dangerous especially when it is removed. Either way, the law left no room for discretion or choice.
62 families decided to leave the school
In recent years, the parents of Leo Buck high school students have repeatedly and thoroughly examined the consequences of asbestos removal on the children's health, and they are divided.
62 families chose to leave the school and send their children to the nearby municipal school, or to Reali. Some of the parents leave the children in Leo Buck, but say clearly that this year they do not intend to send the children back to study in the high school building. The other parents feel that they trust the factors that are responsible for the process and the tests and the professionals who supervise the tests that are done in the building.
"Many parents are in favor of returning to the high school structure"
Niv Varach, father of three Leo Buck students, says that there are a large number of parents who think differently from the parents' committee that often expresses itself on the issue in the media.
These parents, who express a different position from the ruling position, are unfortunately silenced and in some cases even found from the WhatsApp groups due to their different positions from the committee's position.
"These are asbestos fibers that we cannot see with the naked eye and everyone is rightly afraid of it. The health of our children is the most important thing to us. None of the parents is ready to make a decision that would endanger the children. Parents who think differently from the ruling position of the committee are labeled as "indifferent" or "not caring" "And it does us an injustice, since the last thing that can be said about us is that we are indifferent to the health of our children. I personally talked with more professionals and for more hours than most of the committee members.
We, as well as the largest asbestos experts in Israel, believe that it will be possible to return to the high school building after tests that prove the safety of the building."
"Experts say that it is already possible to return to the building"
"There are experts who say that even the current tests show that it is possible to occupy the building, since the vast majority of the tests are already beyond the standard, which means that the current situation is also better than the standard.", says Niv Varach, "I am less militant than the parents who demand an alternative building for a year or two Or for life, because I talked for many, many hours with Yoram Varga, the project supervisor, and I personally trust him 100% that he will not make a decision that will endanger the health of our children.
I also spoke with Shimshon Lerman from Beer Sheva University, who is considered the number one academic expert in Israel on the subject of asbestos particles. He told me in the most clear way that already in the last tests he saw, he would have put his children and grandchildren in school. I wish he would be interviewed on the same media channels where the committee expresses its firm positions on the subject, and all this when the interviewee on behalf of the committee is not a professional in the field of asbestos. Between accepting her positions and accepting the position of the experts, with whom I spoke - I choose the experts.
Another reason why I am optimistic is that it will be possible to go back to school in a few months while we are now before the renovation. During the renovation, a number of other steps will be taken that should improve the building's safety and the risk of asbestos that exists or does not exist in it as of this moment.
First, they will build a plaster ceiling under the areas from which the asbestos is scraped. This means that even if there is an active infection (and currently there probably isn't anymore because it has been removed and sealed), it will not be able to spread itself anyway because of the plaster ceiling. In addition, all the walls in the classrooms will be painted again with acrylic paint and the acrylic paint should trap the asbestos fibers if they exist on the walls.
"Parents who don't line up find themselves outside the groups"
Niv Varach adds: "The parents' WhatsApp groups are run by representatives of the board and their position on the issue is known. When other people express different opinions, they are seen as "collaborators" and as those who work against the parents and the children.
There is also a phenomenon of silencing groups to block discussions and opinions and I personally was also blocked from a group because I dared to ask about the identity of a certain expert whose identity a committee member is not willing to reveal. After all, if the committee wants to enter into a contract with a certain expert, details about him must be provided ahead of time to allow the parents to express their opinion on the choice of him, for better or for worse. This is a huge school and many parents from different fields of expertise can and want to express an opinion. Obviously, there are parents who are not on the committee, but their contribution to a specific issue can be much higher than the contribution of other committee members. This is seemingly a trivial matter, but it is a good example of the methods of silencing those whose position is not the committee's.
distrust and accusations
"For more than a decade, during which my children are in schools, I believe that a good parents' committee is a committee that works for the children and at the same time for the school and in cooperation with and help to the professional bodies. Some of the statements of the current parents' committee and people on its behalf express an almost total lack of trust in the school and the professional bodies.
After the joint meeting at the Haifa Municipality last Sunday, Yoram Varga, the project supervisor, wanted to leave the project, as accusations were hurled at him at the meeting that improper tests had been "disappeared". Such an approach towards professionals does not serve the parents.
By the way, the teachers themselves also told the committee "Enough, you are throwing the baby out with the water!" What we hear from the teachers is that they want to go back and teach in high school when it is possible. From what I know, no one from the school administration told the teachers not to speak their mind, and there is no chance of such a thing happening."
lower the flames
Vavech adds: "It pains me to see the result of the activity of some parents who, in their view, will not return to the high school structure in the coming year and it doesn't matter what the tests show. I understand the anxieties and they are justified. When we are anxious we talk about what is worth studying and researching and talking to professionals and this helps in reducing the anxiety. This is what I did and am doing. The conversation that is currently going on between the parents is a conversation between camps and it is a great shame. In my eyes, there is also a serious damage to the school and the school year of the children and I am sure that most parents, on both sides of the barrier, would prefer to lower the level of the flames."
How can you trust Irrit Hatsifa if on a less complicated subject the wild boars show a lack of comparability.
"From the parents' committee that often speaks out on the issue in the media." What media is covering the asbestos affair in Leo Beck as it should be apart from the poor article on Channel 11? In a decade they will remember to give a platform to the poor children who will have to sacrifice their health for the sake of politics
Most of the parents (and I am among them) believe in Lao-Bek education, but actually stated that they will not return the children to the school structure. The reason you don't hear the parents who support the school - is that apart from that dialect, and a parent/two more - there are no supporting voices.
There is also no silencing or removal from WhatsApp groups.
- Many who remain at the school (after at least 105 transfer requests from students who told us about them) - request an alternative building for the year - so that the building will be ventilated and there will be no pressure to finish the works.
And these invited articles - make us start to doubt the integrity of the management.
A completely prevalent dialect does not represent the opinion of all parents! He represents himself and his opinion only!!!
In Laovac, 45 tons of blue brittle asbestos were dismantled. Yes, blue! Blue asbestos has been shown to be extremely carcinogenic. Breathing even one fiber can cause lung damage from asbestosis and lung cancer. The results of the experiment are obtained between 20-40 years after the exposure. It should also be noted that during the dismantling of the asbestos and the creation of asbestos dust, which of course spread everywhere, the children of the nearby division were studying, and the children of the elementary school were also studying - with open windows!.!!!! And we are supposed to trust the Lauvac management?????
do me a favor Parents, trust only yourselves and no other body. Only you know what is good for your child. When in doubt, there is no doubt.
The municipality of Haifa must reach an agreement with the administration of the Leo Beck school in Haifa. Shabbat Shalom
Yoram Varga is indeed doing sacred work under supervision and conveys high credibility. But in Israel there is no standard for exposure to asbestos, the European standard accepted in Israel states that a level of less than 600 fibers per cubic meter of air is safe, and the measurements are generally something statistical, that is, when devices show 0 the assumption is that there are less than 100 fibers. We want the statistics of how many Will children develop lung cancer and asbestosis as a result of these "safe" levels? You don't want your child to fall into these statistics.
Thanks for an article that saw another side!
Thank you Niv for making our voice heard
We will return to the structure and return to routine trusting the entire system!
Even now the building is clean!
I am shocked mainly by Hai Pa for publishing an article without checking which person it is about and really whether "many parents" think so.
Michal, all for the sake of being an article? At all costs? And if I say that most parents want to dye their hair pink? Won't you and those responsible for you check the truth of my words first?
Check first what price the high school kids paid because of the shouting he started and the lies he spread in the meeting in front of the mayor that he fraudulently entered!
If there is doubt and it is noted that there are fibers, no risk should be taken.
You have to take care of a replacement place for a period of a year until everything is cleaned and all this mess calms down.
There is a budget or there is no budget for the municipality... one place or another... and again discussions and again talks... and again we return to the same point... we constantly discuss the same thing in all the meetings...
The health of our children is most important!
Let them take care of a replacement place for a year, and in the meantime they will clean and knock and check, etc., etc.
This whole thing has ruined the health of us parents from many worries and concerns... for our children.
Blessed is the believer in proactive tests to detect asbestos damage, who told you that the tests are standard according to the standard, and are not performed in such a way that you will not discover the defects or defects in asbestos, just to attract parents to let their children study at an asbestos site.
Asbestos causes Parkinson's and many other damages, who takes the risk that in 20 years they will tell him, we warned you, but listen to the experts, who told you stories to calm your suspicions... who will you sue in 20 years for asbestos damages from a miner that will arise from there?
Michal Grover Dear reporter and distinguished readers, some facts:
The word standard was mentioned several times in the article regarding the asbestos removal project.
Why does Samson Lerman, who is considered number 1 in Israel on the subject, as written in the article, not point out in his professional fairness that Israel does not have any standard on the subject of asbestos, certainly not for the asbestos dismantling project and certainly not a standard for adults and a separate standard for children.
With all the sadness, there is an adoption by the Ministry of the Environment that adopts a guiding principle of 600 fibers and without any consideration does not explain what the number comes from. Is it a strict European standard, is it a lenient standard from some country? Are they ready to live with 600 fibers per cubic meter in their office, or for their children in the bedroom, a place where the child is exposed to the material for a long time?
In addition, didn't the issue that came up about ten years ago give enough time to search for a solution and a settlement and pedagogical solution by all the parties such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Environmental Quality, the municipality and more?
Our children are not abandoned and not an experiment whose results we will find out in 30 years.
Every parent takes care of their children and makes the right decision for themselves, and they should not be criticized for that. One must capture another and his decisions, as long as these do not harm us or impose something on us against our will.
If they want - they will continue at Leo Beck, if they want - they will study somewhere else.
It's a shame that the other bodies don't show empathy and don't help everyone in a good way on such a sensitive and complex issue and don't help with inclusion and understanding for both: those who leave and those who stay.
Good luck to all of us, health and Shabbat Shalom.
"If in doubt, there is no doubt"
I wouldn't take a chance.
It won't help me later to say "but he said it was safe...".
"Most parents are in favor of returning"…..
What wrong Hebrew.
They wrote in beautiful Hebrew for God's sake!!!
Incorrect Hebrew and a false and false claim!
An article that adds nothing to 5 other articles in the last two weeks on the same topic
Enough to pump it up, the municipality is not moved by some parents with signs and reporters with a personal interest