In the face of threats by teachers' unions and local government to strike the beginning of the school year, intense negotiations over the past few days paved the way for a smooth start. As every year, the Knesset Education Committee threatened not to approve the parents' insurance payments - but in the end, a compromise proposed by MK Uri Ariel saved the day. The terms of the deal stipulated that insurance payments would be separated from the extra-curricular payments for school trips and the like, and only collection of the former was approved.
The educational system in Israel will service a total of 1.754 million students this year, some 2% more than last year. Among them are 351,000 nursery tots, 4% more than last year, as well as 126,000 budding scholars who are starting first grade. Twelfth-grade students number 103,000, a growth of 6%.
Thirty-seven percent of the pupils study in religious networks, including almost half in the public-religious system, while 63% are in the public school system.
The arrangement by which the controversial Dovrat Reforms will be partially implemented came about after the Education Ministry agreed to cancel the lay-off of 1,000 teachers who received notices of dismissal last month. The other fired teachers will be retired with improved benefits.
In return, the teachers agreed to test out the new reforms in 35 school districts. The experimental reforms will involve 130,000 students who will learn for only five days a week. Their school day will last from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM - approximately two hours longer than the normal six-day-a-week school day. Some of the students will receive a hot lunch.
The Dovrat program calls for extra-curricular programs to be held on Fridays, but this point is a major issue of contention. Many parents are concerned that for fiscal or other reasons, the programs will either not be held or will otherwise not attract their children, who will then be more susceptible to the dangers of the street from Thursday afternoon until Saturday night.
The educational system in Israel will service a total of 1.754 million students this year, some 2% more than last year. Among them are 351,000 nursery tots, 4% more than last year, as well as 126,000 budding scholars who are starting first grade. Twelfth-grade students number 103,000, a growth of 6%.
Thirty-seven percent of the pupils study in religious networks, including almost half in the public-religious system, while 63% are in the public school system.
The arrangement by which the controversial Dovrat Reforms will be partially implemented came about after the Education Ministry agreed to cancel the lay-off of 1,000 teachers who received notices of dismissal last month. The other fired teachers will be retired with improved benefits.
In return, the teachers agreed to test out the new reforms in 35 school districts. The experimental reforms will involve 130,000 students who will learn for only five days a week. Their school day will last from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM - approximately two hours longer than the normal six-day-a-week school day. Some of the students will receive a hot lunch.
The Dovrat program calls for extra-curricular programs to be held on Fridays, but this point is a major issue of contention. Many parents are concerned that for fiscal or other reasons, the programs will either not be held or will otherwise not attract their children, who will then be more susceptible to the dangers of the street from Thursday afternoon until Saturday night.