so, will this mini-scandal MK Rav Shai Piron is involved in hurt the Yesh Atid campaign? Will the other parties, and the press, play it up to counter Lapid's anti-corruption, we-are-so-clean, campaign?

I expect it will just go away and be ignored, with the story disappearing quickly, but let's see.

I don't even understand it. If Piron has a donor that is giving him a lot of money, and then Piron gives the donor's school a lot of money, why doesn't the donor just give his own school the money directly? why do it though a middle-man like Piron?

These guys just pass around money like it is popcorn

Minister of Education Rabbi Shai Piron is going full throttle after the Haredi schools.

After all the fighting over the funding of summer camps, and the attempts regarding the formation of a State Haredi educational system, now he is going a bit more directly at them.

According to Kikar, Piron sent out instructions to the heads of registered Haredi schools affiliated with the Chinuch Atzmai system instructing them to either teach English or risk being delisted.

Every few years ago the Haredi schools all need to re-register their status. Schools re-registering this year were told that in order to receive their new registration they will need to teach the core study of English.

If they refuse to teach the required English curriculum, their status will change from "recognized but unofficial" to "ptur", and the funding will drop from 75% to 55% and again later to 35%.

He is definitely not making any friends among the Haredi school administrators...

remember the story of the subsidized summer camps that will be run through the school system, starting this summer? UTJ and Shas were upset that the program would only be run in the public school systems and the haredi schools through mukar she'aino rishmi were not being included.

A knesset committee requested that the Minister of Education, Rav Shai Piron, reverse his decision and also include the haredi school system in the new program.

Piron responded that he wants to promote the public school system. In the entire world, the public school system is completely financed by the government, and private school systems are not funded at all by the government. In Israel we have an unusual situation [by which private schools also receive some funding]. That is ok, but when introducing a new program, "I am not obligated by that" and he sees no purpose in including the haredi sector in the program.

In response, MK Uri Maklev (UTJ) said that the Education Minister had claimed previously that he is responsible for every child in Israel, but he is not taking responsiblity for many children. All he is interested in, Maklev said, is chasing down the Haredi community, but not actually concerned about their education..

Piron responded by saying that whoever chooses to send his child to private school (mukar she'aino rishmi) has the right to do so - there are benefits such as smaller classes, choosing your own teachers, selectively accepting students, etc. but someone who chooses that path should also understand that he gives up the right to the benefits of the public education system. Public education should get 100% funding and private should get 0% funding. Piron said he plans on getting to that point as well. He says he was appointed in order to strengthen the public school system, and choosing an alternative system is fine, but you must understand you will get less funding.
source: Bechadrei

Essentially I agree with Minister Piron. I have not understood how people who run a private school system (at least partially private) can make demands of the government for funding. Maybe it is because having grown up int eh USA, private school was literally private, without government funding. Yes, haredim pay taxes, and some of that money goes to the public school system they largely do not benefit from, but that is their choice. In the USA as well, people who send kids to private school also pay taxes that got o funding the public schools they dont benefit from. The citizen does not get to choose where his tax money goes. It goes to the government whop uses it to fund the various programs it operates - some beneficial to one taxpayer, and others beneficial to other taxpayers.

Even though I lose out, as my kids are in haredi school systems, I still don't get the logic of UTJ that Piron must fund the private schools as well. To me it is entirely logical that thos enot in the public school system would not get the funding or same programs as the public school system.

I think today's verbal sparring between MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ) and Minister of Education Rabbi Shai Piron might be a good example for trying to understand the conflict between the haredi community and the general community that has come to a head recently. They are arguing specifically about summer camps, but the arguments apply to all the major issues that have been coming to a boil recently.

A while back the Education Ministry announced a plan for funding summer day camps within the schools. The program was criticized by Haredi MKs because it was being limited to kids in public schools while kids in Haredi schools would not qualify for the funding of their camps.

This morning, Gafni criticized Piron from the Knesset podium, saying that what will happen in the summer because of the reform of the system is that kids will be punished simply because they are Haredi. For the first time ever, said Gafni, te Minister of Education of Israel is planning a program by which some kids will get a summer camp and other kids will have to sit at home. The law says that the torani education system will get funded equally as all children in Israel are funded, but this reform, if it will be approved, will create some kids who will be considered first class and others who will be considered second class.

Piron's response to Gafni is telling. Minister Piron said that there is a public school system that is funded and the government wants to strengthen the public school system so many of its programs are directed to it specifically. Piron said he would be happy for any willing haredi school to join the public school system under the stream of "mamlachti haredi" (a new stream recently formed) and any such school that does will receive equal funding like all the others.

Minister Piron continued saying that choosing to not be a part of the public school system has many benefits - your teachers aren't under the organization of teachers, you set your own time schedules, your own dates for schooling, not to teach the core curriculum studies, don't obligate us to hire only certified teachers, etc. To come along now and cry bitterly saying give us all the benefits that everyone else gets but none of the obligations and responsibilities - forgive me for not being impressed. Some people did the calculations and decided it was worth it for them.

Piron said to Gafni, if you want to have a discussion about being a full partner, I promise you that I will not harm any of the values and cultural issues you are concerned about. But you also have to accept upon yourself the values of the public education system. If you do that, the system will also be obligated to you. You as political leaders and rabbinic leaders made a decision that you want autonomy - autonomy comes with a price. If you want to be a part of the discussion, it comes with both the honey and the sting.
source: Kikar

thats the entire conflict in a nutshell. the Haredi community says our values and culture doesn't allow us to be a part of society in a complete manner, but we still deserve funding as citizens. The general community says no - the money is set by guidelines as part of public policy - be a part of the public, and share the wealth. take both the benefits and the detriments and we'll be happy to have you. You want to be on your own, you are on your own.

Soon this conflict will have to come to a head - haredi society will have to decide to either separate completely or join the Israeli society. On the other side, the general community will have to decide whether to force the issue in a head to head conflict or try to bring them in more subtly, or accept them as they are and decide not to fight about it any longer.

The Haredim will have to pay the price in Jewish history that because of them the State of Israel is less Jewish.. If the Haredim would participate in life, the State of Israel would be far more traditional... 

  -- Minister of Education Rabbi Shai Piron