While the special education plan began operating across the country on Tuesday, with students who were among the first to return to school, in a format of 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, with transportation - in the Bnei Brak municipality, everything is faltering, and the parents are desperate.
""What's happening in the Bnei Brak municipality is simply crazy," says a Bnei Brak resident, the father of a 6-year-old boy with autism who attends a special education kindergarten, in a conversation with Haredim 10. "The bakeries and businesses are open, they are planning to open the mikvahs, Torah studies have opened in groups of 15 students - but what scares the mayor is opening special education.".
The father attacks: "All municipalities in the country have already opened, only in Bnei Brak is Mayor Rubinstein suddenly afraid, as if we forgot that this is one of the most prominent examples of breaking the rules when he was photographed at a wedding, and instead of thanking the soldiers who risked themselves to help with the closure, he fought the closure with all his might and demanded that they open, contrary to the recommendations of the professionals. Suddenly we become cowards on the backs of the special education kindergarten children.".
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According to him, "It's crazy that he's afraid, even though special education kindergartens also have several rooms because of the treatments, so that distances can be maintained. This is also without shared meals, and in addition, they sign the affidavits and take temperatures. And after all, there is almost no infection in the entire world in these kindergarten ages, so what's the problem? You can even bring in just 8 staff members instead of the large regular staff (there are at least 14 in the invested kindergartens), and open normally with transportation.".
The father adds: "In the current format - which is 3 and a half hours only 3 times a week, because there is no transportation, most of the children don't come to kindergarten at all. I also heard from the kindergarten teachers that the municipality didn't bring them enough disinfectants and they are forced to buy them from their own money to protect themselves and the children.".
The father further claims that the municipality's education department said that "this is purely Rubinstein's decision, we are helpless.".
The parent notes that he spoke with other parents of children from the kindergarten, and "they also describe the suffering that the children go through, it's really abuse. Children experience withdrawal from all the personal treatments they go through, and many other difficulties as a result of the lack of a framework - and for special education children it's at least ten times more than a normal child. I have 3 children and one of them has autism. If you saw the withdrawal and the difficulty in everything, you would understand what I'm talking about.".
The Bnei Brak municipality told Haredim 10 in response: "Bnei Brak has succeeded in significantly reducing the number of patients in the city, but this is a constant struggle that requires caution and monitoring.
""For reasons of caution, the municipality is preventing a rapid return of special education institutions to function and has worked to do so in a phased manner, as has the transportation system, with double and compounded responsibility - as a city that has experienced the significance and danger of the coronavirus more than anyone else.".
""This required special preparation and additional budgetary measures to resume transportation in a manner consistent with the Corona restrictions and the unique concern given the morbidity situation in the city, with strict caution and double responsibility for the safety of the students and teaching staff, the transportation attendants, along with ensuring their safety and the safety of the entire city's residents.".
""Even now that transportation has been arranged and their activity outline has been arranged, the municipality will monitor the morbidity situation and developments and will examine the outline for returning to normal in the education system accordingly.".
But the parents claim there is no transportation yet.
""There is an arrangement regarding transportation. We will update.".
