816,142 middle school (12th-<>th) and high school (<>th-<>th) students will come to school for the last time on Tuesday and tomorrow they will go on vacation. For some <>,<> twelfth graders, this is the last day in the education system – they complete <> years of schooling and embark on life outside the school framework.
Ofri Grizek (18) will finish twelfth grade today at Yitzhak Reger High School in Beer Sheva. "Saying goodbye to the education system is a sad feeling, but also very fun," she concludes. "There were difficult periods, especially in high school, in terms of the academic load, and this is also the place to call on the Ministry of Education to reduce it because it may put students in mental difficulty.
Going on the Great Vacation, Photo: Archive: Yehoshua Yosef and Liron Moldovan
"On the other hand, I feel like I've made lifelong friends, and I'll never forget the annual trips either." In August, Ofri will begin a pre-military preparatory program: "After that, I intend to enlist for military service, which I hope will be meaningful."
Although the school year is ending, it is not known when high school students will return to school. The reason is the threats by Ran Erez, chairman of the teachers' union, to shut down classes on 1 September if the organization's wage demands are not met.
The students complete 12 years of study, photo: Archive: Yehoshua Yosef and Liron Moldovan
Erez is scheduled to hold a press conference tomorrow, where the next steps in the fight over the wage agreement will be announced. Erez is demanding NIS 12,<> for a beginning teacher, as well as a similar increase in the salaries of veteran teachers.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Finance claims that the demands go beyond the framework of other agreements signed in the economy.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch said yesterday that he believes that the head of the teachers' union will shut down classes next school year for two months, after which he will understand that he has been presented with the best offer he can accept.
Proved he is capable
It should be noted that Erez has already done this before. He signed off on the biggest strike in the education system – in 2007 he shut down secondary school classes for two months.
Ran Erez, Photo: Dudi Vaknin
The Finance Ministry said in response: "The Finance Ministry and the teachers' union are participating in a mediation process in order to try to conclude the negotiations and reach a good and proper agreement.
"Over the past few months, the teachers' union has submitted several respectful and appropriate proposals for raising teachers' salaries and improving the education system.
"Despite this, the teachers' union continues to entrench itself in its position, which is inconsistent with the magnitude of the agreements recently made with other labor organizations in the economy. In addition, the teachers' union refuses to sit down for a substantive discussion of the state's demands, which are intended to improve the education system."
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us