Ministry of Education sparks a storm: "A move that could collapse the National Service"
Lack of budget and the freezing of coalition funds leave 4,000 volunteers out of kindergartens and schools. Against the backdrop of a severe shortage of teachers and principals, senior officials warn: "The system is in danger of collapse"
Just two days before the school year begins, the education system is absorbing another shock: the Ministry of Education has decided to freeze the National Service system, a move that means the absence of about 4,000 volunteers from critical support roles in schools, kindergartens, and special education institutions.
The dramatic decision was made after approximately 70 million shekels of coalition funds, on which the system's funding was based, were frozen by a Supreme Court ruling. The Ministry of Education clarified that these volunteers will not be able to operate in educational institutions until an alternative funding source is found.
Senior officials in the National Service system attacked the conduct sharply:
"This is a move that could collapse the National Service and severely harm the system. The situation where the service is based on coalition funds is distorted and fundamentally flawed."
The personnel crisis is deepening. The budget crisis is compounded by the extensive personnel shortage the system is experiencing. Minister of Education Yoav Kisch recently admitted that the war deepened gaps and led to compromises in the quality of teaching:
"In a system of 250,000 people, sometimes you compromise and the level drops."
Alongside the shortage of hundreds of teachers, there is also a drop in demand for management positions. While the "Manhigim" organization estimated that about a thousand principals left the system this year, the Ministry of Education claims that only 22 principals are missing. However, the reality on the ground remains the same: filling these positions comes at a heavy price of compromising on the quality of both principals and teachers.
In parallel with the budget crisis and personnel challenges, the Ministry of Education recently published a comprehensive set of procedures for parents and students ahead of the upcoming school year. The document is intended to bring order to the school and kindergarten routine and regulates a series of key issues: from restrictions on parental payments and updating personal accident insurance policies, to enforcing standards for school bag weight, mobile phone usage procedures, school uniform regulations, and soft adaptation programs for kindergarten children.
