Shmuel Abuhav
Shmuel AbuhavKobi Richter/TPS

Education Ministry Director Shmuel Abuhav recently approached Treasury Salary Supervisor Kobi Bar Natan to coordinate how his office should treat teaching staff who refuse to extend the high school year.

"In order to deal with the spread of the coronavirus in the State of Israel, special provisions were required that have an impact on the entire economy, including the teaching staff. For the 10th grade there was no significant difference in the guidelines and instructions in this regard in middle schools," wrote Abuhav.

Bar Nathan said it was very possible that teachers' salaries would reduced for whoever does not teach for another nine days as the Education Minister demanded.

"I declare to the teaching staff that payment of full wages during the coronavirus crisis is approved only subject to conditions applied to civil service teaching staff for this period, as set forth in the Collective Agreement between the State and the Teachers' Union for the addition of nine school days to the academic year," wrote Abuhav.

Teachers' Organization Chairman Ran Erez responded to the Treasury's threats: "Now that the Treasury is done abusing the high school students, it's trying to abuse the teachers. These are idle threats, with no legal validity. Just yesterday, the Education Minister wrote the absolute opposite, that a teacher's online work hour is exactly equal to an in-person work hour. The teachers did all their assignments according to the Education Ministry's curricula. They didn't miss a single class, have nothing to repay, and there's no legal deduction that can be taken from their wages."