The Education Ministry will extend state-subsidized summer programming for kindergarten to third grade by three weeks and expand it to include students through sixth grade, as well as launch a summer academic catch-up program for middle-school students, following five weeks of school closures due to the war with Iran, Education Minister Yoav Kisch said in a statement Thursday.

“In light of the gaps that accumulated during the war, I instructed the ministry to extend summer programming by three weeks, expand services to all elementary school students up to sixth grade, and launch the ‘Summer Preparatory Program’ for middle schools, which will help fill in the gaps and provide a stable and supportive framework for students,” Kisch said in a statement while visiting a school in Rishon Lezion.

He added that the expanded programming is intended to provide “educational, emotional, and social continuity for Israel’s students during the summer months” after the disruption to the school year due to the war.

The initiative is expected to cost approximately NIS 750 million........

© The Times of Israel