Can the court require teachers to teach? • What will be the implications for elementary schools? • How long will the school of great freedom last? • "Israel Today" raises questions about millions of parents and children across the country

• High School students this month in Tel Aviv

  Photo: 

  Joshua Joseph

So when is the school year ending? No one currently knows the answer and exactly in this matter the Tribunal is to decide. According to the Ministry of Education, the 10th grade will end on July 1, but, as stated, the teachers' organization is opposed and wants to end the school year today (Friday).

In the junior high (seventh to ninth grades), the original date school is scheduled to end today (Friday), but the Education Ministry also wants to extend it by 9 days. The teachers' union (headed by Yaffe Ben David) who represents the middle school teachers is not opposed, but provided that the 10th grade teachers continue to teach. In the kindergartens and elementary schools, the Ministry of Education announced that schooling will end on July 13, but even here, if 10th grade teachers do not attend for another nine days, the teachers' union threatens to end the year on the original date - June 30th. 

Photo Archive: Moshe Ben Simhon, newsenders, Paz Bar

Will the decision regarding upper division students have an impact on elementary students?

The teachers' union threatens to do so. The Teachers' Union, headed by Yaffe Ben David, has signed an agreement with the Treasury, according to which only if 10th grade teachers will study for nine days, only then teaching staff in kindergartens and elementary schools will also study. 

Can the Ministry of Education or the Court require teachers to teach?

The teachers in the teachers' organization are not civil servants but employees of the local authorities or the various networks (ORT, Labor, Future and the like). On these issues, teachers receive instructions from the teachers' organization but may enter into a conflict between the organization that represents them and the school administrators. The Labor Court can actually force them to teach another nine days. 

When can a decision be made?

Naturally such discussions take hours, each party should represent its arguments. A decision can be made even today (Friday) before the Sabbath or even on the Sabbath. 

What's up with the maturity?

Maturity takes place as usual, the maturity season begins as early as Sunday and lasts for five weeks. The first test will be June 22. The big problem is the students who are in isolation.

What will happen to the school of great freedom?

The School of Great Freedom is scheduled to begin on July 14 and is for kindergarten and first-graders through August 6. However, if teachers do not add nine days (until July 13) the school year ends on the original date, June 30, which will create a big problem due to the gap in the days when there are frames.