Israeli interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Monday morning praised a last-minute agreement which averted a September 1 teachers' strike.
"I am pleased that the school year will open as planned," Lapid said. "I commend Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu), Education Minister Dr. Yifat Shasha-Biton (National Unity), and Teachers Union Secretary General Yaffa Ben-David for their hard work in reaching a good agreement that will improve the status of teachers in Israel and the level of education that the children of Israel receive."
He added, "Investing in a good education system with properly compensated young and veteran teachers is an investment in our children and in the future of the State of Israel."
The new agreement modifies the school vacation schedule, with teachers now require to work on Lag B’Omer, Ta’anit Esther (the fast before Purim), and the days immediately following festivals (Isru Hag). In exchange, schools will close during the period in between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, with teachers also granted two extra vacation days, to be used whenever they choose.
On the issue of salaries, the starting wage for teachers will increase to 9,000 shekels per month, with bonuses starting at 1,100 shekels. At the same time, the entry-level wage for school administrators will be raised to 19,000.