Proposed legislation in the Knesset: shortening the summer vacation to one month.
Likud MK Ruchama Avraham has proposed a bill to shorten the summer vacation, which is currently two months long for elementary school students, and 70 days for grades 7 and up. She says that a month-long vacation in August is sufficient.
Avraham, a first-term Knesset Member, explains that the vacation as it currently stands is too long, leaving hundreds of thousands of students with nothing to do. "In addition to boredom and lack of activity," she says, "it causes many problems, including accidents, drugs, and more. It also places a heavy burden on parents, who often have to miss work to watch over their children who have no framework."
Though the reasoning behind the initiative may be clear, the actual implementation is still very iffy. Some questions that MK Avraham's bill leaves open for a committee to decide include what to do in the month of July: Should there be regular classes, or a special enrichment program that students must attend? What about teachers' rights and advanced study courses during the summer? Should some of the vacation be moved to Chanukah and Passover?
Many bills start off with unanswered questions, however, and MK Avraham is undeterred, and will work promote the bill in the upcoming Knesset session.
Likud MK Ruchama Avraham has proposed a bill to shorten the summer vacation, which is currently two months long for elementary school students, and 70 days for grades 7 and up. She says that a month-long vacation in August is sufficient.
Avraham, a first-term Knesset Member, explains that the vacation as it currently stands is too long, leaving hundreds of thousands of students with nothing to do. "In addition to boredom and lack of activity," she says, "it causes many problems, including accidents, drugs, and more. It also places a heavy burden on parents, who often have to miss work to watch over their children who have no framework."
Though the reasoning behind the initiative may be clear, the actual implementation is still very iffy. Some questions that MK Avraham's bill leaves open for a committee to decide include what to do in the month of July: Should there be regular classes, or a special enrichment program that students must attend? What about teachers' rights and advanced study courses during the summer? Should some of the vacation be moved to Chanukah and Passover?
Many bills start off with unanswered questions, however, and MK Avraham is undeterred, and will work promote the bill in the upcoming Knesset session.