Psychologists to help students deal with war trauma as they return to school

01.20.2009 | Haaretz
By Or Kashti

The educational system in most of the south will return to a normal schedule today. About 320,000 children from kindergarten through high school will be back in school after almost a month away from the classroom, following a decision by the Education Ministry.

The school day will open with a discussion about the recent hostilities in the south. In Ashkelon, only students from 10th to 12th grade will be back in school today, with a decision to follow later on a date for a full return to a normal schedule.

The regular school staff in the south will be supplemented by additional psychology service personnel.

All of the students from grades 1 through 12 will be provided with special programming designed to help them deal with traumas of the recent weeks, and to prepare them to return to their school routine.

In addition, efforts will be made to identify students suffering from stress.

Classes will also resume at all of the institutions of higher education in the south.

The Council on Higher Education has announced that the first semester will be extended by one or two weeks to compensate for time lost in the classroom.