New Education Ministry pilot: Nurses to be stationed in schools across the country

The Ministries of Education and Health have approved a pilot program to station registered nurses in ten elementary schools starting September 2026. The nurses will provide medical care for students with special needs, first aid, and lead health promotion programs. The pilot aims to test the model's effectiveness as an alternative to medical aides, amid a 20-fold increase in the number of children eligible for a medical aide over 15 years, primarily due to food allergies.

The Ministries of Education and Health have approved a pilot program to station registered nurses in ten elementary schools across the country, as reported by Walla. The program will begin this September with the start of the school year. The nurses will be employed at 75% capacity (approximately 30 hours per week) and will provide medical care for students with special needs, first aid, and lead health promotion programs on topics such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, hygiene, adolescence, prevention of risky behaviors, and mental well-being. The pilot aims to test the model's effectiveness as an alternative to medical aides who accompany students requiring medical supervision. The decision was made amid a 20-fold increase in the number of children eligible for a medical aide over 15 years, with 81% of cases due to food allergies. The cost of stationing a permanent nurse in every elementary and middle school in Israel is estimated at 460 to 488 million shekels per year. The Ministries of Health and Education admitted that there is no organized real-time reporting system for medical incidents in schools.