(Haipo) – A serious incident of violence that occurred last Friday, 12/26/2026, at the Neve Sha'anan Open School revealed significant security deficiencies at the educational institution, raising serious questions about the implementation of mandatory procedures and the ability to protect students and staff. The incident, in which there was allegedly a fight between several students and the mother of one of them entered the school grounds without any hindrance, raises deep concern and reignites the debate about the level of security at educational institutions in the city.
Violent incident between students
On Friday, a violent incident broke out between several students at the open school. According to parents, this is not the first time that there have been fights between students at the school. Shortly after the incident, the student's mother arrived at the scene after her son called her. The mother entered the classroom to take him home and at the same time called an ambulance and a police car. According to parents' testimonies, the mother and son waited for the car outside the school gate, and after the boy received initial medical treatment from the ambulance team, the two went to the police station to file a complaint against the students who allegedly attacked him. According to school officials, who were in the classroom at the time of the incident, the finger of blame cannot be pointed at only one side because the incident allegedly started on one side. Although the incident occurred on Friday, as of now the student has not yet returned to school.
Mother entering without permission – warning sign
A source close to the open school told Hifa that the school gate was open, and that the security guard posted there was not the regular security guard but a substitute who came to help on a one-time basis. According to him, the security guard stood in a booth near the gate and did not prevent the mother from entering. “She simply walked in without any interference,” he said. “The security guard did not know the procedures, but the truth is that even when the regular security guard was here, the parents used to enter the school freely. You have to understand that the open school is not like other schools. It is a school that was established by the parents, and the parents’ position is very central here.”
The source added that the situation could have ended in disaster. “I dread to think what would have happened if a hostile entity had entered so easily. If a terrorist had entered, stolen the security guard’s weapon or brought his own weapon – it could have ended in a fatal incident. The security guard is not at fault, he was simply not trained for the job. But when you bring in a replacement security guard to guard hundreds of students and teachers – you have to explain the procedures to him.”
Complaint to the police – and further investigation
The police confirmed that a complaint was received and that the circumstances are being investigated.
Security procedures – and what should have happened
The incident raises serious questions about the implementation of mandatory security procedures in schools. The circular from the Director General of the Ministry of Education explicitly states who is allowed to enter school grounds and under what conditions. According to the procedures, a parent is not allowed to enter school grounds without prior coordination, and in any case must be accompanied by a staff member from the moment of entry until exit.
The procedures are designed to prevent exactly such situations – the uncontrolled entry of an outsider who could harm students or staff. In the complex security reality in Israel, where violent events could occur at any moment, strict adherence to these procedures is not a recommendation but a requirement.
Replacement security guards – a weak point in the system
One of the most prominent problems that emerged from the incident is the use of replacement security guards who are unfamiliar with the specific procedures of the school. A permanent security guard knows the students, the staff, the daily routine and the vulnerabilities of the complex. In contrast, a temporary security guard who arrives for one day is unfamiliar with the system, and sometimes unaware of the mandatory guidelines.
Education officials note that this phenomenon is not unique to the open school, and that many schools sometimes employ substitute security guards without adequate training. This creates security gaps that could endanger students.
Response from the Ministry of Education and Haifa Municipality
The Ministry of Education and the Haifa Municipality stated: "The case is being thoroughly investigated by the school administration, the Ministry of Education, the local authority and enforcement agencies. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot provide further details. An inspection conducted by the Director of the Security Department in the Haifa Municipality found that the security guard was present at the school throughout the entire incident. The security guard let the mother into the school and locked the gate. Following the incident, the procedures for parents entering the school were tightened by the Security Department in accordance with the instructions of the Director General's circular, and they will be communicated to parents in an orderly manner in the coming days."
Did the article interest you?
It is very important, before all the inflammatory messages and slander of the school and the staff, that you also read the messages of those commenters on the article who have the information that is closer to reality.
Response: "A girl who was in class at the time of the situation (13:59) and "The father of a boy from the class" (17:35).
It seems that the one who actually started the whole incident was the "beaten" child, not the "beating."
What should bother you, the commenters, is the lack of education and the violent culture of those children and their parents, before you blame everyone. Teachers are not police officers and should not educate your child to normative behavior, that is your job. Their job is to teach and enrich with knowledge and more, not to be 'watchdogs' for those violent children.
As for security at the site, that's a different story. Parents/strangers are not allowed to enter the school without permission from the school administration.
This school is called "Open", right? What did I miss? I know... Did she go there to work as a guard, security guard, paramedic and... some kind of mother.
Since the Oslo Accords, security in the area and personal security have been very weak. Who remembers, there used to be no guards, no security, no fences...
This is just that mother's interpretation of the name "Open School"
If it had been called the "Anthropoid School," she would never have thought of entering like that.
I don't understand why the emphasis is on security instead of violence between students? If a child calls his mother about violence, instead of a team after handling the incident, that's the problem...
In any case, from my experience, the education system always distorts the stories later in the media.
This is one big lie, I was in the classroom where it all happened, it's a lie that the mother didn't burst into tears and the child wasn't beaten. I want to point out that they forgot to say that the "beaten" child was the one who picked up the scissors and threatened to throw them! So it's just a shame and here's a girl in a school and in the classroom telling you, the people of Israel are simply ashamed to believe in every little thing. The child didn't receive any medical treatment and the police arrived two minutes after they came to school, here's something to add if she cursed the school in front of young students. Oh, and the child who "beat" defended himself because the "beaten" child threatened with scissors, and the "beaten" child didn't get any injuries, he only got a red mark because they held him down so he wouldn't hit. So all the shame here goes to the mother and the "beaten" child.
I also once sat in the school yard as a security guard, not a security guard, quite a few years ago, and I encountered a serious problem of a sick child who got stuck in an embarrassing situation in the bathroom, and I couldn't leave the place and leave the position unattended and take care of the child at the same time.
Violence in school and the staff not addressing this should be the main headline. In addition, the issue of security failures where anyone can enter without hindrance. Then children commit suicide. I think any mother who found her child like that would raise an alarm. We are obligated to send them to school due to the Compulsory Education Law, but unfortunately the school went bankrupt.
I don't understand - what's wrong? According to the writer of this article, the problem is that the mother entered the school to pick up her beaten son. In my opinion, the really serious thing is that this student, while in a municipal educational setting, was attacked and beaten by his classmates. Did someone go off the rails here?
It's lucky that the mother came in, I would have come in too and not asked anyone if it was allowed, messing around is how the mother came in, it's just outrageous, how is it that this is not the first time that the same child has been beaten in school, that requires the Ministry of Education and the school to be interested, I am the mother of a 17-year-old girl, to tell you how I am waiting for the girl to finish school, not to say anything, I studied at this school 30 years ago, nothing has changed, the education system is failing in the State of Israel and the Ministry of Education is doing nothing, we have reached a situation where it is scary to send the child to school, good teachers can be counted on the fingers of one hand, all the education that the school provides today is failing, the student is allowed to do anything, even beat others, even boycott others, at most he will stay at home for a week, how beautiful, simply a lifesaver
The Ministry of Education has long gone bankrupt, and there too, rehabilitation and rebuilding are needed.
Is that what's bothering you, dear? Isn't it the fact that students are almost murdered within the walls of the school, a place that was supposed to protect them and be safe for them? The mother went in to take her son home and instead dragged him to a brothel. Put the emphasis on that, idiots.
Your problem is that his mother entered the school? Isn't it that he was beaten until he needed medical attention and the teacher knows he's in a different class but doesn't do anything about it????
How screwed up are your morals that this is your main problem?
Luckily I'm no longer a resident of Haifa..
There's no way I would raise my children in this city with such a poor education system.
And the failure of school staff, who fail to prevent bullying against a child who was made a scapegoat, doesn't bother you?
As the father of a boy in the class, the "beaten" boy tried to hit another boy who defended himself by stopping him, and then the poor "beaten" boy took out scissors and tried to stab him.
The mother entered and behaved violently and screamed while looking for the child who "hit" her son.
It's just a shame that the mother came in and almost acted violently against another student and her violent son who almost stabbed her, and there is no mention or fact-checking in this article that the mother and her son are violent!!!
Distortion of the facts! I happened to pass by there and saw the child and his mother being treated by the MDA team.
The child was bruised, and children coming out of school stood in front of the ambulance, blocking it and posing for pictures with an obscene hand gesture.
I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that these are the attackers and this indicates the lack of education of these children. Apparently there are things that come from the parents and not everything the school can fix.
Total shock