A bill submitted by Minister Meshulam Nahari (Shas) to force
local authorities to fund chareidi educational institutions
at the same level they fund all other educational
institutions was passed by a large majority during Sunday's
cabinet meeting. All government ministers supported the bill
except for Education Minister Yuli Tamir, who abstained after
issuing blatant remarks against the equality being demanded
for children in the chareidi education systems.
Nahari's bill would obligate local authorities to provide
recognized but unofficial educational institutions the same
funding that government schools receive from them. The bill
resembles a proposal brought before the Knesset by MKs Rabbi
Avrohom Ravitz and Rabbi Moshe Gafni.
Nahari's bill calls for funding of all "recognized
unofficial" institutions, which includes not only Chinuch
Atzmai and Maayan Hachinuch HaTorani schools, but also Arab
schools, church schools, elite secular schools and other
institutions (but not talmudei Torah, which are
classified as "exempt institutions"). Meanwhile the UTJ-
sponsored bill would force local authorities to provide
Chinuch Atzmai and Maayan Hachinuch HaTorani schools the same
funding government schools receive.
Nahari's bill has been discussed before, but due to
opposition by the Education Minister it was decided that the
Education Ministry would submit a bill. But instead of
executing the government's decision she tried to torpedo the
approval process and even enlisted the mayors of large cities
to thwart Minister Nahari's proposal.
Nahari then decided to raise the proposed law at any price,
even a head-on collision with the Education Ministry, who had
to face off against the other government ministers, including
the Prime Minister. "For years," PM Olmert told the cabinet
meeting, "chareidi education has been discriminated against
and the chareidi sector's needs have been overlooked. This
has to stop."
The Education Minister condemned the proposal, warning that
if the law was passed "the state would fund not just chareidi
education, but the educational institutions of the Hamas and
the Islamic Movement as well. Independent institutions that
do not allow state oversight and are unwilling to bring into
the education system the curriculum the state would like
[taught] at all of its institutions cannot be permitted to
receive state funds."
In response Shas ministers pounced on Tamir. "When the real
arguments are finished the threats to the public begin," said
Minister Yitzchak Cohen, charging Tamir's entire aim is to
continue the discrimination against chareidi education and in
favor of government education. "Chareidi students are not
second-class," he argued.
The PM ended the heated exchange by voicing support for
Minister Nahari's proposal and after all cabinet members
except for Tamir backed the bill, the government decided
that, pending its final approval in the Knesset, which could
take months, the Education Minister, together with the local
authorities, should try to formulate equal criteria for local
authorities seeking to fund recognized but unofficial
institutions.
During a meeting on Monday between MKs Ravitz and Gafni and
Shas Chairman MK Eli Yishai an agreement was made to combine
the two bills once Nahari's proposal is brought before the
Knesset and approved by the Ministerial Legislating
Committee.
