Violence, teacher shortages and much hope for improvement | Conference on preparation for the 2017 school year

(haipo) Hundreds of inspectors, mayors, Ministry of Education officials, directors of education departments and the Teachers' Union arrived today (Thursday, 8/20/26) at Sammy Ofer Stadium in the southern suburbs of Haifa for a conference to prepare for the start of the 2017 school year. Alongside the main discussion on the rising violence among youth, two issues that concern the entire education system were repeatedly raised: the acute shortage of teachers and the ongoing crisis surrounding the Special Education Law. The speakers emphasized that integrating students from special education is an important value, but without appropriate tools for teachers and administrators, classrooms become unsafe spaces that do not allow for meaningful learning.

The impact of violence on the education system

Violence among youth is a nationwide phenomenon, also felt strongly in Haifa and the north. School principals report an increase in incidents of physical and verbal violence, cyberbullying, and a sense of insecurity among students and teachers alike. Some schools have seen an increase in the number of students requiring therapeutic intervention, and in some cases the police have even been called following unusual incidents. Violence affects the school climate, the ability to learn, and the students' sense of belonging. For the education system, dealing with violence has become a major challenge, requiring cooperation between the municipality, the police, social services, and the Ministry of Education.

Conference Opening: A Call to Stop the Epidemic of Violence

Shelly Keren, Chairwoman of the Association of Education Directors in Local Authorities and Director of the Education Department at the Gezer Local Council, opened the conference with words of welcome, but immediately placed violence at the center of the discussion. She mentioned the names of Eldad Dayan and Benyahu Razi, two teenagers who were recently murdered by their peers, and emphasized that all those involved grew up in the education system.

Keren said that “the education system is ‘sick’ of a deadly disease of violence, according to many, but we teachers are full of hope that the situation can be changed and improved,” and presented alarming data: a 26% jump in the number of youths for whom criminal cases were opened, and a 50% increase in reports of incidents of violence and bullying, according to research by Bar-Ilan University. Alongside the difficult picture, she asked those present to also see hope: “We are educators, we are the address for partnership with the police, youth movements and the community. We have a key role in changing reality.”

Mayor Yona Yahav: “Students must not be bored”

Mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav, was the first to greet the participants. He referred to the changes he has led in the city since returning to office, and criticized the national education system for not adapting to the changing reality.

Yahav said that “the school system is boring,” and explained that in Haifa, a weekly learning break was introduced: every Wednesday, students choose an activity they like, and at the end of the day, they submit work. According to him, “If we don’t introduce interest and innovation, we will lose the students.” He also noted that in Haifa, literary Arabic was replaced with spoken Arabic, out of a practical approach to interpersonal communication.

Director General of the Ministry of Education: “The struggle is for the image of society”

Director General of the Ministry of Education, Meir Shimoni, apologized on behalf of Education Minister Yoav Kish for not attending, and emphasized that violence is not just an educational problem but a social one. He spoke about the need to create a space of security and belonging for youth, and the importance of listening.

Shimoni said that “hope is created when a child knows that the adult in front of him believes in him,” and emphasized that the responsibility is shared by all parties in the system. According to him, the future of children is determined by what is built today, not just by what they are told.

The conference was attended by district directors at the Ministry of Education in various regions of the country and department directors. District Director at the Ministry of Education in Haifa Sigal Cohen She said that she is excited to see all the parties involved in the upcoming school year working day and night to start the school year in the best possible way in a few days.

Haim Bibas: “The local government bears the entire burden”

Chairman of the Local Government Center and Mayor of Maccabim-Reut, Haim Bivas, sharply attacked the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance. He said that since the Corona pandemic, local governments have been the ones managing events on the ground, while the state has been slow to respond.

Bibas said that local authorities are financing school construction at the expense of residents, and that the state is “not involved.” He noted that last summer, the authorities invested over half a million shekels in anti-violence activities, without government support. He said, “The education system is working on autopilot. It needs to be shaken up and think outside the box.”

Bibs also addressed the special education crisis, claiming that the system is on the verge of collapse due to a shortage of aides and personnel trained to deal with the challenges of integration. He called for training additional personnel and strengthening the system so that it is attractive to quality professionals.

Yaffe Ben David: “The Special Education Law will collapse the system”

The chairwoman of the Teachers' Union, Yaffe Ben-David, harshly criticized the Special Education Law and claimed that her past opposition to the law in its current form was justified. According to her, the law was enacted without an appropriate professional infrastructure and without sufficient budgets.

Ben David said that “it is impossible to enact a law without means and methods of treatment,” and emphasized that teachers who are not qualified to treat integrated students cannot cope with the load of students in the classroom, some of whom are integrated students, who require additional inputs, when teachers do not have the necessary knowledge to assist them. She warned that if changes are not made, many principals and teachers will abandon the system.

She called for reducing the number of students in classrooms and kindergartens, for establishing therapeutic centers in every school, and for stopping transferring responsibility to parents in choosing the educational setting. According to her, “the real struggle is over budgeting and changing the Special Education Law.” She also said that in order to achieve achievements with the Ministry of Finance, one must work in cooperation, and she is already using Bivas and achieving achievements thanks to the cooperation.

Ben David's deputy, Edna David, who is also the chairwoman of the Haifa branch, said at the conference that the Teachers' Union aims to represent teaching staff and act to provide a response to every need of teachers. Of course, in order to ensure the status of teaching staff, work must also be done with all the factors that influence schools. She concluded her remarks by wishing success for the upcoming school year to principals, teachers, kindergarten teachers, assistants and, of course, to the students and their parents.

Police present a snapshot of the situation: violence, drugs and changes in legislation

The second seat was taken by Head of the Education, Culture and Sports Department at the Haifa Municipality, Ilana Truk. Truk received a moving tribute from her team, who took advantage of the conference to compliment her on her win, announced yesterday, in the Haifa City Education Award. The second session dealt with the conference's central theme, violence alongside hope.

Lieutenant Colonel Yuval Revivo He presented the situation from the police's perspective. He said that schools are asking the police to come and talk to students about the consequences of violence and cyberbullying. He emphasized that one of the main goals is to significantly increase the rate of recruitment into the IDF.

Revivo also addressed the change in legislation regarding the use of cannabis, noting that minors who come for questioning will be given a defense attorney starting next year. He said, “I hope that the investigations will not be harmed as a result, because we also need to think about the victims of the crime.” He noted that it is not only the education system that is facing a shortage of teachers, and the situation is similar in the police, which is having difficulty filling police positions.

Roundtables: Between Violence and Hope

After a short break, the participants sat down at round tables, where they discussed the space between violence and hope in Israeli society and the education system. The inspectors, directors of education departments, and representatives of the authorities tried to formulate joint actions to deal with violence, strengthen special education, and improve teachers' working conditions.

The discussion focused on the question of how to create an education system that provides security, belonging, and meaning to students, while dealing with staff shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and rapid social changes.

At the end of the conference, the participants emphasized that preparations for the upcoming school year must rely on broad cooperation between all parties in the system, with the understanding that violence, the shortage of teachers, and the challenges in special education are not isolated problems but a reality that shapes students' lives every day. Alongside the difficulty, there was also a deep sense of commitment to change, and many expressed hope that conferences of this type, which bring together all those in charge around one table, will continue to take place and strengthen the sense of protection of students throughout the country.