Over 30,000 Children Begin School Year in Benjamin Region
More than 30,000 children and teenagers aged 3-17 have started the new school year across the Benjamin Regional Council. The council, which serves a population with an average age of just 10, has emphasized adapting its education system to the region's developing settlement map.
This year's educational plan includes provisions for new settlements, farms, and outposts, alongside continued support for established communities. The official education system comprises 193 kindergartens, 37 elementary schools, and 26 secondary institutions. Additionally, there are 61 kindergartens, nine elementary schools, and three secondary institutions in the recognized, non-official education sector.
Preparations for the school year involved adding kindergartens and classrooms, establishing and expanding new learning facilities, and investing millions in renovating existing educational institutions. Expanded programs focus on innovation, English language learning from kindergarten, intergenerational activities, emotional support, and heritage studies.
Two new special education institutions have opened in western Benjamin: the "Tavor" school in Neria and the "Gal" high school in Dolve. These join three similar institutions opened in eastern Benjamin in the past two years, completing a broad regional network for special education.
"Settlement is not built only on houses and roads, it is built first and foremost on the generation that will grow here and continue it," said Head of the Benjamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council, Yisrael Gantz. "Alongside establishing new settlements and expanding existing ones, we are investing in an education system that will grow with Benjamin and provide every child, wherever they grow up, with the highest level of support and infrastructure. This is a fundamental and integral part of the settlement revolution we have been leading in recent years."