In the first stage, final year undergraduate students and advanced degree students will return to studies
The grads from Gaza are still landing, but today, Tues. 13.01.2009, final year bachelor's degree students at Ben Gurion University (including students enrolled in elective courses which are courses designed for final year degree students) as well as master's and third degree students and prep school students are returning to school.
The university management emphasizes that the studies will take place in classrooms that meet the protection requirements of the Home Front Command.
At the same time, classes began at the beginning of the week in an almost full format at Sapir College in Sderot. The president of the college admitted in an interview broadcast on Channel XNUMX that the Council for Higher Education did not see fit to discuss the fate of the semester at the institutions that were closed as a result of the war (Ben Gurion University and Sapir College), and in fact the universities had to make their own decisions.
In a letter from the president of Ben Gurion University, Prof. Rivka to the university community that was distributed yesterday (Monday), it was stated: "In the security reality in which the State of Israel finds itself, we need strong forces, faith, hope and a lot of courage and determination. Those who wish for our harm are looking for the way to weaken us and cause us heartbreak and spiritual disability, and we are commanded not to allow this. A controlled and gradual return to routine, while taking precautions, with responsible and considered behavior, should be our answer to anyone who thinks it is possible to break our spirit." And she adds: "It is also permissible to fear and even be afraid. We will not force anyone to behave against their judgment and out of a feeling of necessity. There will be no obligation to attend classes (but the material studied will definitely be relevant to the exams), we will make sure that no student is harmed, and we will also make sure that there is an adequate and dedicated response to the reservists who will return safely after they defended us bravely and out of a deep commitment to our security."
