Despite expectations that it would intervene decisively in the teachers' strike, the National Labor Court did not issue preventive orders against the secondary school teachers Sunday night. Instead, Judge Steve Adler ordered the state to present it with explanations regarding the government's plan for reform in the educational system, by 11:00 A.M. Monday.
The plan is intended to include wage hikes for teachers, reduced class size and added study hours.
The Secondary School Teachers' Association (SSTA) was given until Tuesday morning to respond to the plan.
The SSTA announced Sunday that it intended to petition the High Court if the Labor Court issued preventive orders to the striking teachers and forced them back to work.
Meanwhile, the heads of the teachers' committees in individual high schools said they did not intend to comply with back-to-work orders, if the Labor Court issued them. SSTA leader Ran Erez, however, said that he intended to respect the preventive orders and would fight them in the High Court.
Many teachers have threatened to quit or use their sick days to continue striking if the court orders them to return to work.
The state's representative said the Minister of Education and the Wage Supervisor told the SSTA that the government would set aside NIS 100 million in 2008 for reducing class size and would also put together a multi-year plan for adding study hours to the system.
Many teachers have threatened to quit or use their sick days to continue striking if the court orders them to return to work.
The teachers' strike is 47 days old.