As hundreds and thousands of Israeli pupils attend their first day of school and kindergarten, the IDF has stepped up its presence to safeguard schools in Sderot and areas surrounding Gaza to protect them against Kassam rocket attacks and Palestinian terror.Today 1,810,256 pupils start the new year, while the Ministry of Education guarantees improved salaries to teachers, classrooms are cramped and the number of hours at school have decreased.09/02/07