Teacher Outrage Over Parental Demand for Zoom Lessons During Abroad Trips
A social media post by an Israeli teacher asked if educators must tutor students traveling abroad during the school year, sparking outrage and reigniting tensions over parental demands.
The new academic year has just begun, and teacher groups on social networks have become active again, with educators sharing experiences, consulting one another, and venting about the chronic ailments of the education system.
A simple post by a teacher who turned to her colleagues sparked hundreds of responses, highlighting what many perceive as parental audacity. "I would love to hear from your experience," the teacher wrote. "A parent of a student traveling abroad with their family for an extended period is asking me to hold private Zoom lessons with him during the absence. Personally, on top of teaching and routine work, this burdens me and exhausts me greatly. Is a teacher obligated to comply with such a request? Is there a procedure on the matter, or is it at the school's discretion?"
Teacher Reactions and Outrage
The teacher's remarks left many educators stunned, and they did not spare criticism regarding the request. One teacher wrote: "What?? Where is the administration in your school? Absence for this reason is not justified. The school is not supposed to complete private tutoring for a student spending time abroad. The mother is invited to hire a private tutor for the child. Where is the question even, how confused you all are."
Another teacher added: "As a rule, there is no approval for vacations during school days. The parents chose to go anyway, and the responsibility for catching up on material rests with the student and their parents." Some teachers considered the request so unreasonable that they claimed it was "trolling," meaning a post that is not real and did not happen in reality.
Absences and Regulations
Absences from studies due to traveling abroad is a subject that generates considerable tension within the education system. Many parents feel free to schedule vacations during school time and simply decide that the child will not attend school—a practice forbidden by the Ministry of Education Director-General's circular, which in higher grades can lead to absences that affect grades and diplomas.
"As a rule, there is no approval for vacations during school days. The parents chose to go anyway, and the responsibility for catching up on material rests with the student and their parents."
As for the teachers themselves, they are strictly forbidden from flying abroad during the school year on days when classes are in session and there is no official holiday. Although they are entitled to two choice days per year, the rest of their vacations are determined strictly according to the education system's official holiday calendar.
