Following the reports of an increase in the haredi education budget after the passage of the State budget, parents in the Lithuanian-haredi sector complained to Finance Committee Chairman MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) that there has been no change in their tuition payments, nor any change in the stipends for married yeshiva students.
"Many married yeshiva students do not want to speak about the fact that the married yeshiva students do not see the rise in stipends," one of them told Kol Hai Radio.
"There is also the addition that Gafni managed to achieve for the preschool teachers and assistants. The law requires them to transfer it to the employees, but they were told to give it back. That is criminal and improper. A married yeshiva student who I know claimed that the afternoon programs as well, the rabbis are required to pay an additional 50 shekels in cash."
Yeshiva student Yanky Katzburg said, "There is a lack of clarity regarding where the money is. There are claims against the yeshiva deans, who on their part claim that the money never came in. I suggest Rabbi Gafni make an organized table, how much each married yeshiva student should be receiving."
According to the report, Gafni intervened and during a tense meeting held with the heads of post-high school yeshivas, he demanded that the principals reduce the cost of tuition charged to parents.
The institution heads, for their part, claimed that they have no issue reducing parent payments, but it needs to be significantly funded. "The new and minor budget does not even cover the rise in the cost of living," they told him.