Adalah appeals against Israeli Education Ministry decision to disperse 177 Arab children with autism from Al-Shurouq School in Arrabeh
On 27 August 2025, Adalah submitted a petition to Jerusalem District Court for Administrative Affairs on behalf of 125 parents representing 139 Arab children with autism and their families against the Education Ministry to demand a halt to the dispersal of the children from the Al-Shurouq School in the Arab town of Arrabeh in the north of Israel. The petition demanded that the court oblige the authorities to provide a stable and suitable educational framework for the children that guarantees the continuity of their education and the necessary provisions for their development.
On 16 September 2025, the Court held an urgent hearing on the case. During the hearing, Adalah successfully persuaded the court to order the Education Ministry to assume direct responsibility for the children by establishing a direct channel of communication between the parents and the Ministry in order to reach a just solution based on the students’ best interests. The court also ordered the Ministry to send an official letter to each parent explaining the nature of the alternative educational framework for each child individually, and to guarantee the possibility of filing an appeal against decisions made.
The petition (in Hebrew)
Background
The Al-Shurouq school was established in 2012 as an educational framework for children and adolescents on the autism spectrum from the Arab community in Israel, from kindergarten to age 21. During the 2024-2025 school year, 177 students from 31 Arab towns and villages studied there. In mid-July 2025, just weeks before the start of the new academic year, parents were surprised by a decision to disperse their children into other educational frameworks that are not necessarily suited to their needs. This decision stemmed from a dispute between the Ministry of Education and the school’s administration, and entailed a serious and harmful violation of the students’ right to an appropriate and stable education.
In the petition, Adalah stressed that the dispute between the Ministry and the school’s administration cannot come at the expense of the children and that the students’ best interests must be the main basis for any decision made. Adalah further emphasized that the parents were completely excluded from the decision-making process. During the hearing, the court highlighted the Ministry’s responsibility towards the students, while noting some practical difficulties.
Court decision
The court ruled that the Education Ministry must ensure that every parent whose child has not yet been assigned a placement receives an official letter by 18 September 2025 specifying to which institution the student will be transferred. The court affirmed that the Ministry retains responsibility even if the official authority rests with the local authorities. In cases where parents object to the decision, the court granted them the right to appeal. Furthermore, the court accepted the parents’ request, submitted by Adalah, for the Parents’ Committee to be included in the decision-making process regarding the integration of students into other educational institutions. This step opens a direct channel of communication between the parents and the Ministry to help ensure that fair solutions are made based on the students’ best interests.
Adalah Attorney Lubna Touma, representing the parents, stated, “Opening direct channels of communication between the Ministry of Education and the Parents’ Committee is an essential step toward finding a fair and stable solution for these children and guaranteeing their right to education in a suitable, stable environment that is as safe as possible. The court clearly affirmed that any decision by the Education Ministry must prioritize the students’ best interests above all else, especially when it concerns children with autism. We will continue to work to prevent the Ministry from shirking its responsibilities toward all the students.”
