Renewing and expanding is necessary
The school urgently needs to replace the kindergarten building.
Without these, the school is not able to meet the modern standard for quality education, nor is it able to meet the regulations of the relevant authorities.
Replacement building kindergarten
Around 280 children receive pre-school education at the school of the Sisters of Nazareth. The current building was built at the end of the 19th century. In fact, originally it was a house built in 1860. Classrooms and facility areas have been added to meet the needs of the growing number of pupils.
The rooms no longer meet the regulations of the Ministry of Education. The children are taught in a very old building with insoluble problems, regarding safety and basic comfort. Most of the classrooms are too small, while other classrooms do not have adequate ventilation. There are only ten toilets for almost three hundred children.
Cracks in load-bearing walls are due to settling in the building. The foundations of the building would not be able to withstand seismic movements, if an earthquake were to occur.
Safety regulations are becoming stricter, with good reason. But, this causes problems for the school: the window’s dimensions and height from the floor, natural ventilation, lighting, door dimension and direction of opening, width of hallways, staircases between the classrooms, the number of children per classroom, etc.
Safety concerns may result in closing the kindergarten, because they will not be able to obtain the annual license from the Ministry of Education.
Financial
There is a project in place for new construction of the kindergarten. The financial funding will need to be raised from supporters. In Israel, the government does not subsidize the new construction as it does in the Netherlands.
The Sisters of Nazareth have already received a significant amount from the Convent. Also, the land is available; it is a plot that belongs to the school. The school will attempt to get the remaining amount through sponsorships. Parents, students, and former students will contribute their part as well.
However, the poor economic situation in Israel, high unemployment, and the high cost of living result in limited financial resources. Therefore, the foundation is committed to helping the school financially.