The Israeli Ministry of Education published the findings of what it described as an internal investigation examining the ministry's performance during the war. The summary of the internal report, which will be submitted to the State Comptroller, states that "this document, initiated by the Minister, summarizes the learning and lessons-gathering process following Operation Iron Swords, an ongoing and unprecedented event in its scale, which presented the education system with organizational, operational, pedagogical, and psychological challenges that it has been facing for many months."
More than 2,258 participants, including ministry staff, principals, teachers, and others, took part in the process of drawing lessons. This involved three levels: an independent internal evaluation at the regional and unit levels; presentation of the findings to a special steering committee led by the Director General of the Ministry; and the formulation of the findings, recommendations, and implementation decisions.
Areas the Report Recommends Maintaining
Education Minister Yoav Kisch says: “The report confirms that the education system fulfilled its national mission of ensuring the continuity of education even during times of conflict. As a former fighter pilot, I believe that a culture of inquiry and learning from experience is a cornerstone of any strong institution. We don't look for culprits—we look for ways to improve. And that's what we did here as well.”
The Education Ministry report discusses “dedicated administrative models” and states that “special departments (such as the Department for the Abducted and Affected) were established to provide a tailored response to those directly affected by the fighting, whether students, teachers, or their families, through social, psychological, and educational support services, including the establishment of temporary absorption centers.”
It also mentions “the establishment of ‘Together’ centers. As an alternative to the original plan to house those affected in schools, the Ministry established approximately 390 educational absorption centers within hotels, providing students with a supportive educational and social environment and a sense of stability during their displacement.” Here, an analysis published by the business daily Calcalist noted that the Ministry of Education boasts of establishing 390 learning centers in evacuation hotels—but in reality, these centers were initially run by numerous volunteers and third-sector organizations, with the Ministry joining only later.
Among the points recommended for maintenance is the "flexible model for opening temporary educational institutions." The Ministry established a rapid and flexible model for opening educational institutions in emergencies, including streamlining bureaucratic procedures to reduce setup time. It also highlighted the "operation of a central and regional emergency operations center, where emergency rooms were established according to an "emergency hour" to manage the situation, daily assessment meetings were held, and rapid decision-making mechanisms were activated to adapt policies to developments on the ground.
Areas the Ministry Indicates Requiring Improvement: The report listed the following areas requiring improvement:
Analyses Criticize the Ministry's Lack of Implementation
Several analyses criticized the Ministry of Education's report on a number of points, including its boasting about "establishing 390 educational centers in hotels," while in reality, most of these centers were not directly operated by the Ministry. Instead, they were managed by volunteers, NGOs, and sometimes even parents and teachers themselves on their own initiative, as reported by the "Davar" website.
There was also a failure to implement the emergency plan, and the original government plan (hotel accommodation) was never activated. Instead, improvised arrangements were made. Furthermore, there was a lack of preparedness for the long-term scenario, despite the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. A lack of a central and up-to-date database meant the Ministry failed to track the real-time location of students and their families. The students evacuated with their families were not effectively monitored, which affected their ability to receive educational or psychological support.
The website also noted a conflict of roles between the regions and official bodies. There was no effective coordination between the brigades, nor between the Ministry and local authorities, or the Home Front Command.
The analysis by the aforementioned Calcalist website stated that the Ministry was unprepared for a prolonged emergency, assuming the war would be short and preparing for only a month. However, the reality proved to be much harsher and longer. A lack of adequate distance learning was observed, and the Ministry failed to activate digital learning tools. Students in hotels or those who were evacuated did not receive a structured distance learning system, and there was no appropriate system for different age groups.
Furthermore, the public broadcaster Kan reported that the Ministry claimed to have established the learning centers set up in hotels during the war, when in fact they were run on the ground by volunteers and civil society organizations, with the Ministry only joining later.
In addition, budget management flaws were found: the "Educational Flexibility" system did not receive an actual additional budget, but rather a redistribution of existing funds. Complex procedures led to delays in paying substitute or volunteer teachers.
The Hebrew news site "The Seventh Eye" noted that the Ministry's claims that it had equipped 70% of various educational facilities with shelters or protected spaces did not reflect reality. A practical assessment of the data revealed that less than half of these facilities were actually secured, and this did not include kindergartens and early childhood education facilities.
The State Comptroller criticized the Ministry regarding mental health services. To place the Ministry's self-assessment within the context of public criticism, it is worth citing a focused report by the Israeli State Comptroller stating that the Ministry of Education did not meet all the needs for psychological services for children and adolescents. The Comptroller wrote in the report that the mental and emotional health of children and adolescents is fundamental to their optimal development and their educational achievement in its emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and social aspects. The Ministry of Education, through the local authorities' "Psycho-Educational Services," plays a central role in supporting the psychological well-being of students. These services operate in schools and kindergartens to identify psychological and emotional difficulties early, diagnose needs, provide psychological support to parents and students, offer consultations to educational staff, and intervene in crises.
He continues, noting that despite the importance of this system, a public opinion poll conducted by the State Comptroller's Office revealed that 61.4% of parents with children experiencing difficulties did not utilize these services. The primary reason cited (44.6%) was a lack of awareness of the services available. Other reasons included the child not being referred by the educational staff (18%) or the long waiting period (12.5%). He emphasizes that the Ministry of Education is responsible for allocating positions for psychologists to local authorities according to employment criteria, but the gap between needs and resources is significant:
In December 2023, the required number, according to the criteria, was 3,343 positions, while only 2,429 positions were actually allocated. Despite the Ministry's awareness since 2010 of the increasing workload and existing shortages, it has not updated the standard for over 35 years. A limited review in two local authorities in 2018 concluded that the standard should remain unchanged due to a shortage of specialists—a well-known reason. Furthermore, the allocation of positions to students in integrated special education programs is not based on the standard, thus obscuring the true extent of the shortage.
The latest report also examined the Ministry's and the Psycho-Educational Service's preparedness in terms of: workforce standards, recognition of service centers as training institutions in educational psychology, the prohibition of employing sex offenders, the impact of amendments to the Special Education Law, work plans, and working relationships with local authorities.
In the context of the "Iron Swords War," as the report states, the Ministry's performance in collecting and managing data for the Psycho-Educational Service, providing it with the necessary personnel to meet the increased demand for psychological services, and responding to the needs of specialists who dealt with complex professional challenges in the aftermath of the war was also examined. Progress was also monitored in addressing the shortcomings identified in the 2021 report on local authorities' preparedness to respond to panic attacks in emergencies, including an examination of the establishment of a computerized system for managing psychoeducational services.
These findings revealed a direct responsibility on the part of the Ministry of Education to ensure adequate human resources, update recruitment standards, and raise awareness of psychoeducational services. This includes developing digital infrastructure and coordinating with local authorities to ensure a rapid and effective response to the mental health needs of children and adolescents, particularly during times of crisis.
Information Management System: The Ministry suffered from the absence of a dedicated emergency information system, which led to significant difficulties in locating students and adapting responses. Therefore, it is recommended to establish a visual and integrated information system with local authorities.
Establishing a national human resources database: A significant staffing shortage has emerged as a result of teachers being called up for military service or displaced. It is recommended to create a database that includes retired teachers, volunteers, female national service students, and others to ensure a rapid and effective response.
Volunteer management: The lack of a national infrastructure for managing volunteers has hindered their effective recruitment and utilization. It is proposed to develop a national digital platform for volunteer management in cooperation with the civil sector.
Distance learning in prolonged emergencies: Despite the experience of the COVID-19 crisis, the Ministry of Education was unprepared for a prolonged emergency, focusing only on a short-term one. Plans were designed for short-term emergencies only. In reality, the crisis has been prolonged, leading to learning gaps and a sense of inconsistency in learning hours across different grade levels. It is proposed to develop an integrated pedagogical program for distance learning that takes into account age differences and balances academic education with emotional and social support.
Institutional Coordination Between Regions and Authorities: The war revealed weak coordination between sending and receiving regions and between the Ministry and its partners. It is recommended that a structured coordination mechanism be established, including a permanent forum between governmental and local stakeholders, to clarify responsibilities and ensure coordinated action.
An example of the Ministry's performance can be found in its handling of the school crisis in the Northern Region. About a year ago, Minister Kish met with the heads of the Center for Local Government, regional councils, and local authorities in the North. Attendees expressed "the significant concerns and gaps that local authorities have been pointing out for several months regarding the safety and security of students, and the issue of substantial budget shortfalls in light of the prevailing security situation. The head of the Center for Local Government also discussed with the heads of local authorities the issue of special education, given the existence of frameworks within local authorities that have absorbed students due to staff shortages and the depletion of teaching staff, who urgently require support and assistance," according to an official Ministry statement.
The ministry also presented to them "the system and model of schools established by the Ministry of Education in the north of the country, with a budget estimated at about 152 million shekels to enable the return of students who were evacuated from their homes, communities and natural environment. In addition, the minister indicated that the ministry allocated a budget of 5 million shekels to strengthen all issues related to security and safety in schools and kindergartens in the frontline towns in the north."
