Finance, Education ministries approve plan to save at-risk youth programs

The announcement comes a day after hundreds of teachers and students in the HILA and Karev programs protested in Tel Aviv and a number of unions threatened to strike unless the programs were saved.

By TZVI JOFFRE
An empty classroom (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
An empty classroom
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
The Finance and Education ministries shifted budgets on Thursday to provide a NIS 1.5 billion budget to save educational programs for at-risk youth, including the HILA program.
The plan will allow the opening of afternoon care centers, the HILA and Karev programs for at-risk youth and a number of other programs for at-risk and disabled youth and youth from the periphery or minority communities.
The announcement comes a day after hundreds of teachers and students in the HILA and Karev programs protested in Tel Aviv and a number of unions threatened to strike unless the programs were saved.
"I see much importance in complementary education, and I am happy to say that we have found a solution to allow the operations of these important programs at the start of the school year on September 1," Finance Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday.
The plan will give employment to thousands of teachers and provide education for tens of thousands of youths.
"Complementary education is a significant and vital part of the education system's activities," Education Minister Yoav Gallant said. "Equality for every boy and girl from everywhere and from every sector throughout Israel is a social imperative and a national value for me."
"We welcome the apparent progress regarding the Karev programs for children and youth and the HILA program for at-risk youth, and thank the Education and Finance Ministers and hope that the budgets of the programs for the coming school year will indeed be approved soon and strengthen social resilience in Israeli society," said the government company that runs community centers (matnasim) in response to the decision.
"We hope that a budget solution will also be found for the other vital programs that are facing closure and address hundreds of thousands of children, youth and adults – such as class programs for every child in the various sectors and populations, learning centers and programs for education and integration in the periphery for children, youth and adults at risk," added the company.
The HILA teachers’ union had warned that closing the program, which helps many at-risk youth, would risk leaving 8,000 students on the streets and 1,600 teachers without jobs. HILA has been providing education services since the 1980s for students aged 14-18 who have dropped out of school, functioning in 120 municipalities. The program aims to prepare students for the bagrut matriculation tests or for a diploma.
The Education Ministry announced in July that the programs would be frozen due to the budget crisis and the lack of about NIS 4 billion needed for them. The ministry had stated that until a state budget was passed, it would not provide a budget for HILA.

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A state budget may not be approved until as late as November, if an extension for the budget’s deadline is approved by the Knesset. Continued clashes between Blue and White and the Likud, as well as delays in the legislation of a budget extension, have raised concerns that Israel may be headed to elections, which could mean even further delays to the budget.


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