Education

From its beginning the collective of Degania ‘A’ did not see itself as solely responsible for the education of the younger generation. The responsibility for education was divided between the frameworks of the childrens houses during the day and of the family in the evening and at night.
Pre-school: baby houses, toddlers and kindergardens.
Elementary school: in the early years when there were but a few children, they were divided into two groups:
Grades 1 to 5 – “the small hut”
Grades 6 – 12 – “the big hut”
Youth: after the War of Independence a social framework of the 9th to 12th graders was created, which included living quarters.

School: in the early 1930’s the common school was established on Degania. The school included the children of Degania ‘A’ and of the surrounding Kibbutzim – grades 1 to 9 and higher grades – 9th and up.
In the early 1940’s an agricultural high school was established named after Arthur Ruppin, which took all the youth into a study framework of 9th to 12th grades.
In the early 1950’s the regional council established a vocational high school of the “Amal” network, with the aim of creating a cadre of technically skilled people for the Kibbutzim in the area.
In early 1975 the two schools, the agricultural and the technical, were integrated and the Arther Ruppin Agricultural High School “Beit Yerach” became the Beit Yerach Regional Comprehensive High School named after Lippert Ltd.
Beit Yerach serves as a regional high school for graduates of six regional elementary schools of grades 1 to 8, with studies from the 9th through the 12th grade.

Raphsody in the Kinneret

Today’s education system

The system is divided into three units:

1. pre-school – from age 3 months to 6 years.
2. grades 1 to 8.
3. grades 9 to 12.

The children are accompanied by a proffesional and experienced team, working in a warm and supportive atmosphere which takes the needs of the children and of the parents into account.
The pre-school children's houses are open all year round from 7:00 until 16:00, including vacations. There is also enrichment in music and in dance and excursions out into nature.

The school children eat lunch in the dining room and are received by the counselling team of informal education. This team conducts the children's after-school social and other activities, such as horseback riding, drawing, pottery, trips around the area and enrichment activities sponsored by the Jordan Valley Regional Council. The children enjoy a summer camp for the full duration of the summer vacation.
The youth are accompanied by a proffesional counsellor. Up until the 11th grade they sleep in their parents' homes and in the 11th and 12th grades get their own rooms in the youth section.

The youth study at the “Beit Yerach” regional high school five days a week. One day a week they work in the various branches of the kibbutz.
In the afternoon and evening they have different social activities for their age groups.
The youth are involved in the life of the community.
Some of them enlist in the Israel Defence Forces on completion of their high school studies and others go on to a year of service at a young kibbutz or to do counselling in the youth movements.
Degania ‘A’ absorbs chidren from the surrounding area into its educational system to both the pre-school children's houses and to the informal education sector of the elementary schoo.

	Children play at the pool

Tal Ganany at the Torch Race - Hannuka	The Torch Race - Hannuka

Playing at the "Cats Shore"	The Camp at the "Cats Shore"