Less than a month before the start of the new school year, Israel’s Education Ministry is reportedly considering a sweeping budget cut affecting small and special education classes integrated into the regular school system.
According to a report by Channel12, school principals across the country have recently received instructions that could force them to make urgent changes to their class structures and staffing arrangements ahead of the coming school year.
The proposed cuts would affect a range of special education frameworks, including communication classes and other small classes designed to provide students with additional educational and therapeutic support. The changes are reportedly being advanced as part of broader efforts to reduce spending within the education system.
School administrators have expressed concern that implementing the cuts so close to the beginning of the academic year could significantly disrupt preparations and make it difficult to provide students with the services they were promised.
The issue is particularly sensitive for families of children with special educational needs, whose educational frameworks often require smaller classes and additional staff precisely because of the students’ individual needs.
The report describes the move as having taken place largely "under the radar," with schools now being asked to reorganize their plans despite having already prepared for the upcoming school year.
The Education Ministry has not indicated that the changes are intended to eliminate special education frameworks, but rather to reduce or redistribute the resources allocated to smaller classes. Critics warn, however, that reducing staffing and classroom resources could undermine the ability of schools to provide individualized support.
The developments come as the education system prepares to reopen after the summer break, leaving school principals and parents with limited time to adjust to any changes in funding or staffing.