Haredi schools not included in summer vacation reduction

The Ministry of Education recently announced that they would be shortening the summer vacation period. The pilot would start with 1st and 2nd grades, and then be expanded if successful. The program would constitute some sort of framework within the schools, subsidized partly by the government.

It turns out that the Ministry of Educations plan only includes public schools and not the private schools. That means that the new program does not include the students of most Haredi schools, as most Haredi schools are in the private systems of Chinuch Atzmai, El Hamaayan, among others.

Haredi MKs have been calling this discriminatory. Why should Haredi kids, girls specifically as the boys stay in school much longer and have only a couple weeks of vacation, not get the same program from the government that all the other kids get?

MK Meshulam Nahari (Shas) has now sent a query to the Ministry of Education from the Knesset podium demanding an explanation as to why Haredi children do not deserve the same program as the other kids.

Deputy Minister of Education MK Avi Vartzman (Habayit Hayehudi) responded to Nahari's query. Vartzman explained that the purpose of this program is first to assist weaker sectors and those living in the periphery. Vartzman also said that the policy of the Minister of Education is to strengthen the public schools and not the private schools, and that it is not discriminatory against Haredi private schools as secular private schools also will not be a part of this program.
(source: Bechadrei)

Haredi kids should not be discriminated against, and they deserve such programs as much as any other kid. The problem is that the government is responsible for public schools and not for private schools. Private schools, by definition, are private and not connected to the government. I will probably never understand how private schools in Israel get so much form the government and feel they have the right to demand more.

The people want their schools to be private and free from government influence while at the same time they want the government to fund them and give them programs and support. In my mind, one comes with the other - if government support can be demanded, there must also be some level of compliance with government demands. In my mind one goes with the other. The purpose of private school is to avoid the government direction and influence, and is therefore also privately funded. What really should happen here is that they see a program they think can be implemented in their system, they should raise the funds and implement it on their own terms. Why is the government responsible for creating this program in a private system? It would be great if they would, but I would not call it discrimination if they choose not to.

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