United Torah Jewry representatives in the Knesset Finance
Committee attacked the Education Ministry for its plans to
cut budgets for chareidi educational institutions that do not
commit to the Core Program, which includes a general
curriculum inappropriate for chareidi educational
institutions.
At a meeting held by the Finance Committee to discuss the
Education Ministry budget, Education Minister Limor Livnat
said that starting with the 5765 school year any educational
institution that does not teach the Core Program will not
receive its full budget. If only 75% of the Core Program is
taught it will receive only 75% of the budget. "On this
matter we are entirely resolute," she said. "You will have to
accept the program. We cannot expect the State to continue to
fund those who do not follow the law."
Livnat rejected a demand by Knesset Education Committee
Chairman Ilan Shalgi (Shinui) to immediately reduce the
budget of educational institutions that do not accept the
Core Program, which includes general subjects such as English
and math. In reply Livnat said, "There are people who are
making great haste. They want to bring down such a big
educational system as this with a proposal to cut the budget.
I do not want to devour the chareidim. The Core Program's
implementation will take five years, and this year, 5764, is
a transitional and preparatory year. This is not a plan from
one moment to the next. He who suggests discontinuing the
budget to the chareidi educational system does not come to
the committee clean-handed."
MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni stressed that all of UTJ was adamantly
opposed to the Core Program. "We will never agree to the
program. Chareidi education by its very nature has
pedagogical independence and we will never sign onto this
program. There is no sector--neither government [schools] nor
government-religious [schools]--that has been required to
sign their acceptance of the Core Program, and I do not
understand why the Education Ministry is insisting that the
chareidi educational institutions sign the program," he
said.
MK Rabbi Yisroel Eichler, who termed the Education Ministry's
demand "Antiochus decrees," warned Minister Livnat not to
carry out her plans to compel chareidi learning institutions
to comply with the program. In an emotionally-charged
address, he mentioned Chanukah, days when our forefathers
were persecuted because they kept the traditions and the jar
of pure oil.
"Then we did not agree to compromise with impure oil and
today, too, we will not compromise. It is hard to understand
how a school system that has failed in every area presumes to
force upon a successful educational system, according to all
of the surveys, its Core Program.
"The Hasmonean War was fought because they tried to force
foreign culture on Am Yisroel. They wanted to force upon us
an educational Core Program against the Torah. The Greeks
also spoke about the children's best interest and the need
for enlightened education, but let it be clear: even if all
of the funding is discontinued, you will not succeed in
preventing us from educating our children with a pure
education. This is a culture war, what is happening
today."
