Yaffa Ben-David warns: The education system is short about 5,000 teachers

Yaffa Ben-David, Secretary-General of the Teachers' Union, spoke today, Sunday, with Anat Davidov on 103fm radio ahead of the start of the school year regarding the state of the education system and the teacher shortage.

"The education system is public and will remain so; currently, we estimate the system is short of nearly 5,000 people," said Ben-David. "If the system does not prepare a strategic plan and only throws out slogans, we will see a leakage of staff. First of all, we must make the system a place where people want to be."

She noted that the problem is global: "In the past, people entered the system out of a sense of mission. Today it is different, and this is visible in almost every country in the world. Education is the heart of the State of Israel, and the highest-quality human capital needs to be directed here."

"If we do not solve the deep problems, the situation will only get worse," warned Ben-David. "We need to deal with the issue of violence, the Special Education Law, and the issue of backing, trust, and authority for both principals and teaching staff. Inclusion is a valuable and moral thing, the question is how you implement it." Regarding special education, she added: "The way forward is not just to legislate a law; that was the biggest mistake. Whoever introduced that law looked only at the budget, which contributed to the system's collapse."

Ben-David highlighted the need for better parent-teacher relations: "We have issued a new circular regarding the conduct between parents and education staff. Parents need to understand: you want quality people to stay? Give them respect and trust. They know what is good for the children."

She also addressed the issue of class load: "It is not normal. We warned for decades that there would be a breakdown in the system in kindergartens and schools, but we were ignored. Salary is important, but it alone will not solve the shortage. We need to provide salary, status, and working conditions. Unlike OECD countries, we teach many hours in crowded classrooms. The teacher is not a magician."

Ben-David criticized the parents' leadership: "Why don't you stand up and say that you will fight to reduce the number of students in kindergartens? The teacher shortage did not start with Yoav Kisch; it is a problem of several years." She proposed establishing a national-public council for the education system to prepare a strategic plan independent of any specific minister.

"I am fighting and will continue to fight to keep the public education system in the hands of the state. Since when does the Treasury determine education policy? They have no idea about education; it is a paradox. Personal contracts are not the solution to the shortage. We need to address the real problems, not look for cosmetic solutions," she concluded.