A controversy has erupted over the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health's plan to implement a new model in the school system: The Yahav Association (Consultation and Guidance for Food Allergies) has sent a sharp letter to Minister of Education Yoav Kisch and his ministry’s management, demanding an immediate halt to the pilot program scheduled for the upcoming school year. Under the plan, which was revealed by the Walla news site, school nurses are expected to replace educational aides who provide personal medical care to children with life-threatening allergies, epilepsy, and diabetes in ten elementary schools nationwide.
The letter, submitted by the association's legal counsel, Adv. Gilad Bar-Tal, presents an ultimatum to the Ministry of Education: if a substantive response to the association's demands is not received by August 30, the association expects to file an urgent petition to the High Court of Justice. The new model, dubbed the 'Institutional Nurse,' is intended to operate during the coming year in ten schools selected based on the number of students requiring assistance.
In these locations, nurses will be allocated for approximately 30 hours per week and are intended to provide broad medical support for all students, alongside treatment for children with specific medical needs. Representatives of the association argue that the move was taken without parental consent and carries potential risks to children who require close supervision. Their primary demand is to receive a written commitment from the Ministry of Education that every child currently entitled to a medical aide will continue to receive full coverage, along with a request for an urgent working meeting before the program is implemented.
Conversely, official figures point to a growing management and budgetary challenge: the number of students eligible for medical assistance in schools has increased 20-fold over the last 15 years, with the budget for the last school year for medical aides totaling approximately 635 million shekels, of which over 520 million shekels were designated solely for children with food allergies. Supporters of the move, including the Israel Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, believe the current model is limited and that a school nurse would provide a more professional and comprehensive response for all students in the educational institution.
It should be emphasized that students requiring invasive treatments are not included in the pilot phase at this time and will continue to receive the existing care as provided until now. The anticipated legal action once again places the question of ministerial responsibility and the assurance of students' medical rights as a central issue on the public agenda, with the association clarifying its intent to use all legal means at its disposal to prevent harm to the students.