Open strike of Christian schools in Israel


Although September 1, 2015, marks the return to school for almost all pupils in Israel, the Christian schools will not open as the schools protest the refusal of the Ministry of Education to provide the necessary financial support for the schools.

According to the statement issues by the Christian schools, the problem is a very serious one. “The Ministry started a systematic campaign against our schools by unilaterally cutting its support from about 45%, compared to what was before, to 29% of the total cost of a primary school. The Ministry of Education also closed the door for advancement by not allowing our primary school teachers to participate in training courses designed for teachers. They even prevented Ministry instructors from working with our teachers and thus our teachers are prevented from developing in their academic fields. Recently they have even tightened the noose around our necks with regulations limiting the percentage of tuition we can charge – this is a death strike that will prevent our schools from being able to work!”

The crisis raged all through the past school year, with a large demonstration taking place outside the Ministry of Education in Jerusalem. On August 24, 2015, the representatives of the schools met with President Rivlin and Minister of Education Bennet, but the crisis has not been resolved. The letter from the schools concludes: “We trust that our parents will understand the steps we are taking and will stand, with God’s assistance, beside their schools and institutions. We commit to compensate the students for any educational loss when this crisis is over and we look forward to the return of our students to school in the near future, by God’s grace.”

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