Lapid won't cut funding for Shas schools

[ChabadKahanist]

Lapid won't cut funding for Shas schools


As part of deal between Deri and Piron, Shas' education network will incorporate core curriculum, follow ministry's guidelines. Education Ministry: Historic decision

Attila Somfalvi, Kobi Nachshoni Latest Update:  05.14.13, 00:20 / YNet Israel News 
 
Shas announced Monday evening that its chairman, Aryeh Deri, and Finance Minister Yair Lapid have reached an agreement with Education Minister Shai Piron under which the finance minister will shelve his plan to cut funding the ultra-Orthodox party's school system - including the Ma'ayan Hahinuch Hatorani network and independent Shas schools.

Shas, in turn, agreed to cooperate with the State-haredi education network and follow the guidelines of the Education Ministry, meaning the religious party would have to teach the core curriculum at its schools.

 "This is a historic night. Haredi schools will be subject to standardized testing and core studies in order to gain funding," Piron told Ynet.

According to him, the Education Ministry will establish a network of State-haredi schools. "For the first time, the haredim are accepting the terms of the education system," said the minister.


Deri said the decision not to cut the school system's budget "marks the beginning of discussions that are crucial for us all at this time."

The Education Minister's office said the decision would be reexamined after the State-haredi education network is established during the upcoming school year. "This decision joins a series of historic decisions – including the requirement to teach the core subjects, the cancelation of the Nahari Law, and more. The agreement with Deri will not affect the plan to pass within six months legislation that would require all State-funded schools to teach the core curriculum," the Education Ministry said.

 

The Nahari Law, passed in May 2007, obligates the local authorities to fund non-state educational institutions (with the status of "recognized" but not "official"), especially ultra-Orthodox institutions.

 

Lapid and Piron's party Yesh Atid explained that "this is the first time since the country's inception that the haredim are willing to accept the Education Ministry's authority and follow every directive."

 
An Education Ministry official explained that as part of the agreement, the Shas network schools will be obligated to teach the core curriculum and operate in accordance with the ministry's guidelines.


 

The agreement was reached amid government discussions over the State Budget, which will be voted on by July 30. The Finance Ministry has announced its intention to introduce a series of austerity measures, including a number of tax hikes, in order to lower the deficit.

 

Immediately following the January general elections, Lapid said he would work to incorporate the core curriculum in ultra-Orthodox educational institutions.

 

The Arrangements Law, which Lapid will submit to the Knesset for approval, includes cuts in the funding of unofficial educational institutions which do not teach core curriculum subjects.

 
 

According to the law, the State will only subsidize ultra-Orthodox institutions which teach at least 55% of the core subjects.

 

The Treasury document explains that the "threshold condition for funding is 75% of basic studies… An institution teaching less than that is funded as an exempt institution at a level of 55% and is obligated accordingly to 55% of basic studies. Therefore we suggest that the threshold condition for recognizing an unofficial institution will be core subjects which make up at least 55% of the curriculum."

 

[ChabadKahanist]

Shas Claims Victory; Lapid: Not So Fast
Finance Minister says hareidi leader Deri's press statements are "a clear lie."
By Gil Ronen
First Publish: 5/14/2013, 8:41 AM



Finance Minister Yair Lapid accused Shas chairman Aryeh Deri of lying in the aftermath of the budget vote in the Cabinet. Deri had presented a last-minute decision by Lapid as a victory by the Sephardic-hareidi Shas over Lapid.

The budget was to include the cancellation of a regulation known as "9-3-aleph," which provides funds to Shas's El Hamaayan educational network, and the establishment of a government-controlled hareidi educational network instead.

Lapid decided at the last minute to postpone the cancellation by six months, however. The reason, he explained on his Facebook page, is that it will take some time before the governmental network is ready to operate, and he did not want to cancel El Hamayan's funding before an alternative was ready.

Lapid told his Facebook followers that when he decided to postpone the cancellation of te funds, he instructed Education Minister Shai Piron to inform Deri of the decision. Deri then "took us for a ride and told the media that we hgad surrendered to him and cancelled the cut to El Hamaayan," he said.

"The truth is, I can't understand him," Lapid added. "Not only is this a clear lie, he has also prevented the possibility that we will ever try to cooperate with him on matters that are important to his sector."