State to give NIS 44m. to Lod to improve troubled schools

Funding will help pay for school meal programs and more.

By BEN HARTMAN
school children israel class 248.88 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
school children israel class 248.88
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
The government on Sunday unanimously approved a plan put forth by Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar, in which the troubled Central region city of Lod will receive NIS 44 million over the next two years to fund improvements in local education.
The Education Ministry said the funding will help pay for school meal programs, educational programs for individual pupils and classes, enrichment of matriculation exam preparations and the extension of the school day.
In a statement released after the decision, the ministry said that the decision to expand the program, which began six years ago, was done because of the “unique situation” of Lod, which demands “focused treatment and significant investment in order to improve the city’s education system.”
Also Sunday, the government approved a proposal put forth by Sa’ar to launch a ministerial committee headed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu which will focus on dealing with the myriad of issues facing Lod.
Mayor Ilan Hariri said Sunday that the plan “will open a wide window of opportunity for the education system of Lod, and will work towards fundamental changes in Lod.”
Hariri added that through the plan and continuing cooperation with the Education Ministry, Lod has the chance “to close social gaps and bring equal opportunities to all students on one hand, and also bring fundamental changes to education in Lod, both in pedagogy and infrastructure.”
Located only about 15 km.
southeast of Tel Aviv, Lod and its sister city Ramle have suffered from high levels of poverty, crime and drug abuse for years, and municipal leaders have launched numerous efforts to change the image and quality of both cities.