Ashdod Students Protest Lack of School Buildings

Students and parents from the state-Haredi educational institutions "Markaz Vizhnitz" and a state-Haredi girls' school in Ashdod protested outside the city hall on Tuesday, demanding suitable buildings for their schools. The protest centers on over 250 students who, according to parents, have not been allocated a proper facility despite their institutions being part of the state-Haredi system and integrating core curriculum studies under the Ministry of Education.

Liora Allon, a candidate for the "Noam L'Yisrael" party and an education activist, expressed support for the parents' struggle, stating that the right to education should not be subject to political considerations. "Every child deserves their own education, and we will insist that they receive their building," Allon said, emphasizing the protest's focus on the children's welfare and their ability to start the school year in appropriate settings.

A parent representative noted that the protest unites families from various communities in the city and claimed the municipality is not allocating buildings to them, unlike other institutions. "The municipality decided they don't deserve a building, because of political representatives of various parties who decided that buildings are not suitable for them, only private institutions of political parties," he stated.

The Ashdod Municipality responded that the Vizhnitz-Markaz community did not follow established procedures. They stated that while land was allocated for a permanent building, they are awaiting Ministry of Education approval. In the interim, requests for mobile classrooms were submitted. The municipality claimed the institution was established without their knowledge or approval, and that an initial declaration stated no need for municipal buildings, which later proved untrue. Despite this, the municipality is making efforts to find a solution but currently has no available buildings. They noted the institution is currently renting facilities and expressed regret over the community's conduct.