Or Akiva Parents Hold Two-Hour School Strike as Ministry Reviews Teacher

Parents of third-grade pupils at Shirat Hayam elementary school in Or Akiva withheld their children from the first two hours of classes Thursday amid allegations concerning an Arab Muslim teacher. Parents alleged physical and emotional mistreatment and objected to a classroom discussion about attitudes toward Arabs, but no police complaint was filed and the claims remained unconfirmed. Education officials said the discussion began after an offensive student remark and that a preliminary review found a pedagogical error, while disputing the parents' account. The Education Ministry said a thorough inquiry was underway and the teacher would not teach the affected class pending its completion.