School year to open on Tuesday after court rules against teacher’s strike
The Education Ministry and the Teachers’ Union agreed to continue discussions.
By HAGAY HACOHENChildren are returning to school in Israel amid the coronavirus pandemic. August 24, 2020.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)The school year will open on Tuesday as planned following the Monday ruling stating that the Teachers’ Union does not have a right to strike seeing as both the union and the Education Ministry agreed to maintain discussions and that no teacher will be placed on unpaid leave without being allowed to present their case in the space of 24 hours.The ruling was made by Judge Hadas Yahalom.On Sunday, the union argued that there are no clear definitions for who is an at-risk teacher. The ministry responded by offering to invest NIS 30 million in purchasing protective gear for kindergarten and elementary school teachers who teach first and second grades.The National Parents Association reported on Monday that it will not call on parents to avoid sending their children to school, thus disrupting the school year, after “creative, alternative solutions” were found to allow children to learn more than two days during the week, a press release on behalf of the association reported.In addition, the association lauded the recent decision to fund the after-school Hila program, which offers teenagers who dropped out of school a second chance at education and offers teaching solutions to children who are at greater risk due to the novel coronavirus. "We are aware that not all schools can report all problems were solved," association head Mirom Shif said. "We continue to work with all those involved to find practical solutions in the near future."During the Sunday court discussions, vice-director of the Health Ministry Prof. Itamar Grotto said that at no point did his ministry suggest people who are "at risk should no longer work." He was slammed by the union, which claimed they got the impression "they need us as babysitters to allow [all children] to sit in kindergarten so parents can go to work." Grotto denied such claims.
