A lengthy dispute between the Education Ministry and the Secondary School Teachers' Association ended quietly Wednesday as Minister Gideon Saar and Union head Ran Erez signed a deal.
Under the salary agreement, the teachers will get a 50% pay increase, and their work week will be lengthened from 24 to 40 hours. Teachers who are recognized for excellent work will receive bonuses as well.
The new hours will not be classroom hours, but rather will be dedicated to maintaining a presence in the school and to one-on-one work with students. The planned schedule is part of a program termed “Oz L'Tmura,” which some are calling the secondary school answer to a recent planned overhaul of Israel's primary schools, termed “Ofek Hadash.”
The reform will add an estimated 2.2 billion shekels annually to the education budget.
MK Einat Wilf (Labor), head of the Knesset Lobby for the Status of the Teacher, expressed satisfaction with the new arrangement. “This new agreement is an important step in restoring teachers' status and stabilizing the school system,” she said.