School learning hours to be increased in Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Municipality has agreed to increase the learning hours in the city's schools where there are classes that almost reach the 40-student class size limit.

The mayor and the chairman of the parents' organization held a dialogue with the director-general and other senior officials of the Ministry of Education, emphasizing the uniqueness of Jerusalem's education system, which offers a wide variety of study programs while providing personal attention to students.

Responding to a request by the mayor and the parents' organization, the Ministry approved a significant increase in learning hours for each school, with an aim of providing principals with administrative flexibility to divide classes during the majority of the school day, and thus provide each student with a more personal and meaningful learning experience.

The Jerusalem Municipality continues its efforts to approve additional learning hours for more schools in the city so that all of the city's students will benefit from high-quality and personalized education.

The Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Lion, said "The approved additional hours will enable students to have smaller classes during most of the school day, more personal treatment, and a spacious and pleasant learning environment. We have great appreciation for the Ministry of Education's attention and understanding of the needs of the students in the city. We will continue to invest, nurture, support, and take action in order to promote and improve the conditions of the city's students."

Arik Kaplan, chairman of the parents' organization, said "The parents' organization, in cooperation with the Jerusalem Municipality, continues its efforts to reduce the size of classrooms in order to provide every student with the optimal conditions for learning. I call on the Ministry of Education to reduce the class-size standard so that next year every student in Israel will be able to study in a spacious and proper class."