(live here) – Parents of children at the Yaar kindergarten, adjacent to the "Habonim" school in the Ramot Remez neighborhood, are expressing frustration and anger following the decision to close the kindergarten next school year.
They claim that this is an incomprehensible move, which will harm their children both in terms of the transition to school and in terms of their daily comfort as parents. The municipality claims that the kindergarten will move to another location, but the parents do not accept the explanation and demand answers.
A valued educational institution is about to close.
A forest garden, which operates as part of the municipal education system, offers children a unique learning environment that combines outdoor activities and nature.
Over the years, parents have seen a significant advantage in the kindergarten due to its proximity to the "Habonim" school, which has made it easier for children to transition from kindergarten to first grade.
"My oldest son was in this kindergarten until he reached school age," says one of the fathers. "It made it very easy for him. He got to know the children who later studied with him in the classroom and also the school environment. Why do they want to take that away from us?"
Suddenly changes began
The parents say that last year they encountered changes made to the kindergarten that made it difficult for them. "We were informed that the kindergarten would become a 'forest kindergarten' - that is, a kindergarten where many outdoor activities take place in nature, and in addition, the kindergarten became a supra-regional kindergarten, which means that children from all over the city can register for it, without priority for children from the neighborhood," explains one parent. "The problem is that this meant that many children from the neighborhood itself were not accepted and had to register for other kindergartens."
The change also led to many children who finish the year in kindergarten not continuing on to the "Habonim" school, thus disrupting the natural educational continuity that was customary in the past.
"In the past, the children who were in the kindergarten would all continue together to the nearby school, but now, because the kindergarten is supra-regional, many of them come from other areas and do not enroll to continue their studies at the 'Habonim' school. This harms the children's social stability."
"How did we find out about the closure? There simply wasn't an option to register"
Many of the parents only learned that the kindergarten would be closing when they tried to register their children for the next school year. They said they never received a formal notification and no one bothered to inform them, but only realized it when they tried to register.
"We were about to register our son for the next school year," says one parent, "and suddenly we discovered that this option did not appear on the forms at all. It was only when we inquired about the matter that we realized that the kindergarten was about to close. Why didn't they bother to inform us in an organized manner?"
Additional logistical burden
Beyond the educational implications, the parents also point to logistical difficulties that the move is expected to pose in their daily lives. "Part of our considerations in choosing the kindergarten was its location. We have three children and we wanted their settings to be close to each other, and it worked out great when the kindergarten and school are in the same place. Now we will have to stop at three different places every morning before work – it's a huge burden on us as parents."
"The garden will continue in a new location"
In response to the parents' claims, the Haifa Municipality announced that the Yaar kindergarten will not be closed completely, but will be moved to a new location, on Mendeli Street. "This is a supra-regional kindergarten for ages 4-5, and parents received notification of this in the registration envelopes that were sent to them in advance," the municipality said.
However, the parents claim that moving the kindergarten to another location is not a satisfactory solution for them. "Even if the kindergarten continues to operate, it's not the same," says one of the mothers. "We wanted the kindergarten to continue operating here, next to the 'Habonim' school. Why take this option away from us?"
Demand answers
Following the announcement that the kindergarten would close at its current location, parents began demanding clearer answers from the municipality. "If there is a building that is suitable for the kindergarten, why not continue operating it?" asks one parent. "Why do we need to hear about such changes only in retrospect?"
According to the parents, over the years there has been no adequate dialogue with them about the fate of the kindergarten, and now they feel that decisions are being made over their heads. "They don't consult us, they don't explain to us - they just impose changes as facts on the ground. It's very frustrating."
Don't give up, stand up and protest in front of the city hall.
Make some noise, it helps.
Surely one of the rich like Tshuva wants to build buildings on the land. Only rich people who pay bribes to the municipality can do that.
Well done, Michal, for your report. Good night.
The article confuses two things that don't belong together. Edmonich Kindergarten closed, didn't move anywhere, the compulsory schoolchildren simply moved to other kindergartens, and the new forest was for grades 3-4 this year, not for children who are entering grade XNUMX at Habonim.
In addition, the forest kindergarten is also moving next year, and I think there is no reason why they wouldn't put a regular kindergarten back there if that's what the neighborhood demands. There's nothing there right now.
A forest garden is moving to an excellent location that is not adjacent to any school and serves it much better in terms of the forested area.
The kindergarten staff is amazing – Ortal, Maayan and Shmarit. The children and parents are very satisfied.
Unfortunately, the education sector in the municipality is lowering the standard.
1) The parents discover the change in kindergarten location only in the registration letter without any preparation or reasoning or consideration for the children.
2) The level of the lunchroom is appalling. The staff is incompetent, and in addition, they change staff without consideration for the parents and children. Every day a different person comes that the child does not know.
Shame on the conduct of the municipality and the after-school care association!
Wow, is anyone surprised by education in the Haifa Municipality?