The Rahma Kindergarten is a state-run kindergarten in the Rahma settlement in the Negev, attended by approximately 100 children ages three to five. Testimonies received by ACRI indicate severe safety deficiencies in the kindergarten, posing a real danger to the lives and health of the children and staff. Some issues include the school's broken fence, the entrance gate does not meet safety standards and cannot be locked, the yard is uneven and becomes hazardous during rain, there are holes in the structure through which snakes and scorpions enter in spring and summer, and a dangerously cold and windy winter time.
The parent's legal correspondence sent to the Neve Midbar Regional Council went unanswered. In response to ACRI's inquiries, the council claimed that the kindergarten is located in a "Bedouin dispersed" area, and therefore, it is not under the municipal responsibility of the council but under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education. In light of the severity of the deficiencies and the real danger perceived for their children, parents were forced to initiate a strike starting from December 6, 2023, and have not sent their children to the kindergarten.
On December 10, 2023, urgent legal correspondence was sent to officials in the regional council and the Ministry of Education, requesting immediate correction of the severe safety and infrastructural deficiencies in the kindergarten. In the legal corresopondence, ACRI's Attorney argued that the situation infringes upon the rights of children to education and equality. "It is inconceivable that every time a financial dispute arises between the Neve Midbar Regional Council and the Ministry of Education, Bedouin children pay a heavy price, and their rights are compromised."