Education Minister Naftali Bennett took his son David to his first day of first grade at the start of the new school year Sunday. 167,000 children entered first grade throughout the country, out of 2.3 million students in all grade levels.

Bennett spoke of the excitement he felt at watching his son begin grade school: "This is our youngest and he is very excited. I know that he is in good hands with teacher Malka, along with another 167,000 first graders from all streams and sectors who are also in good hands. All of them are my children."

The Minister of Education spoke about the Ministry's goals for the next few years: "values, achievements and more personal education, values ​​of respect for children and friends and for teachers and parents, values ​​of love for the state, tools for children to succeed in the 21st century, cyber-skills. ​​art. and sports, every child according to his love and his desires."

"Every child in Israel deserves to be familiar with the tradition of Israel," Bennett said, referring to the claims of 'religionization' in the Israeli school system. "We will never force or try to prove one faith or another, but I am absolutely proud that every child knows what Kiddush is, what are the holidays of Israel, what is a Bible, in parallel to excellence in mathematics, science and English."