"Sewage overflowing, collapsing ceilings, and toilets without doors": This is how 7,200 students study in the Negev
A new report by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel reveals severe safety and sanitation deficiencies in 11 schools in unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev, where approximately 7,200 students study. The inspections, conducted in August 2026, found serious toilet defects in ten schools, broken walls and ceilings in eight, and electrocution and fire hazards in six. None of the schools are connected to a central sewage system, and five are not connected to electricity.
A new report by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel reveals severe safety and sanitation deficiencies in 11 schools in unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev, where approximately 7,200 students study. The inspections were conducted on August 9-10, 2026, by an external and independent supervision company, according to Ministry of Education criteria. In ten of the schools, serious toilet defects were found; in eight, broken and crumbling walls and ceilings; and in six, immediate electrocution and fire hazards. None of the schools are connected to a central sewage system, and all showed signs of leaks and sewage overflow from unfenced cesspits. Five of the schools are not connected to the electricity grid at all and rely on polluting and noisy generators. The report notes a massive accumulation of waste, scrap, and toxic materials in the schoolyards. The report's authors, attorneys Abeer Jubran and Elsa Bounieh, stated that "the extent of neglect cannot be described in words." The chairman of the parent committee at Abu Krinat School, Muhammad Abu Krinat, said that parents are afraid to send their children to school. The Ministry of Education stated that it will examine the findings with the authorities.