Education  Minister Yoav Kisch said Monday that he was working toward reopening some schools this week, even as deadly Iranian missile fire continues to hit Israeli cities.

Kisch met virtually with representatives of local authorities to present his plan for a gradual reopening of the education system during the ongoing war with Iran. The minister stressed that on Tuesday, schools will remain closed or operate only remotely, but the plan could be implemented in the course of the week.

Under the new framework, the school system will be able to operate in areas classified as “yellow” (that is, at a lower level of risk) by the Home Front Command, provided that schools have access to shelters. Currently, the whole country is designated as “orange” until Monday at 8 pm, when a new assessment will be published.

Municipalities that are not classified as yellow will be able to request special permission from the Home Front Command to reopen schools.

“Each authority has different challenges and characteristics, and therefore requires tailored responses in the field of education,” Kisch said.

“The security and safety of students and education staff are our top priority,” he noted. “We will continue to maintain close coordination with the Home Front Command and with local authorities and will update the public on any developments.”

Iran has continued to fire volleys of missiles at Israel, while the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon has been firing rockets at communities across northern Israel.

The push to reopen schools comes after workplaces reopened last week, creating a situation where many parents were unable to work because they could not leave their young children home alone.

Kisch’s announcement also comes a day after the Knesset Research Center released a report stating that over 450,000 children are studying in schools without sufficient shelter, and the ministry has no data regarding whether there is shelter in over 50% of kindergartens.

According to the report, about 14% of Israeli schools have no protection at all, while 24% have only partial protection. This means that about 466,000 students, comprising roughly one-quarter of the country’s students, lack adequate protection against rockets and missiles.

The report was compiled at the request of the Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee and is based on findings from the State Comptroller released in its audit of shelters in January.

The Knesset Research Center also found that the Ministry of Education lacks data for about 51% (10,975 classrooms) of kindergartens. For the remaining 49% (10,444 classrooms), the ministry assumes they are protected simply because they were built after 1992, when protection requirements took effect, but does not actually know, since it has not been tracking the issue. Therefore, the number of unprotected kindergartens is likely much higher.

The ministry told the State Comptroller that it was in the process of contracting a company to collect updated information and map the status of all educational institutions, including kindergartens.

Under Kisch’s plan presented on Monday, local authorities will be required to establish educational frameworks for young children of teachers and school staff if their schools and daycares do not operate.

In addition, regarding special education schools, during the first phase, parents will need to bring their children to school (the special education system typically provides transportation).

Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Iran war right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:

Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock under difficult conditions to cover this conflict;

Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and emails; and

Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.

We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.

You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.

Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.

So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Thank you,David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel

1 ExclusiveTrump to Times of Israel: It’ll be a ‘mutual’ decision with Netanyahu regarding when Iran war ends

2 Leaks alleging UAE strike on Iran spark Emirati fury, fear of fallout in Israel

3 6 wounded by shrapnel, 1 seriously, as Iran fires suspected cluster warhead missile at Israel

4 Iranian soccer team exits Women’s Asian Cup and faces tricky prospect of return home

5 Two IDF soldiers killed in Hezbollah attack in southern Lebanon

6 AnalysisMore hardline than his father, Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment signals defiance and revenge

7 Arraba mayor and his deputy shot and injured amid unrelenting crime wave

8 IDF chief warns ‘no safe place’ for Iranian regime as fighting enters second week

2026 US-Israel war with Iran

Knesset State Comptroller Committee

© The Times of Israel