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22 Kislev 5764 - December 17, 2003 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
MK Rabbi Gafni: Chareidi Education Institutions will not Commit to Core Curriculum Program
by G. Lazer

MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, speaking from the Knesset rostrum, declared that the chareidi education system would not consent to sign any affirmation regarding the Core Curriculum program the Education Ministry is seeking to impose on every educational framework in the State of Israel.

The Knesset deliberated over the matter following a question submitted by MK Amram Mitzna (Labor), who asked Education Minister Limor Livnat whether the chareidi education system was willing to accept the Core Curriculum program as required by a High Court ruling and whether the Education Ministry would discontinue funding if it refused to accept it. The Education Minister took advantage of the opportunity to denounce the campaign of slander and abuse waged against her on the issue, as if she had yielded to the chareidim for failing to implement the Core Curriculum program.

Livnat declared, "The Ministry of Education is determined to fund [only] educational institutions in the elementary school system based on the implementation of the Core Curriculum program in institutions." She also said the program is to be implemented gradually over the course of five years starting in 5765 (2005), adding that the chareidi educational institutions have requested not to obligate them to sign a commitment to implement the Core Curriculum program just as other educational sectors are not required to sign.

Rabbi Moshe Gafni, who participated in the discussion, declared that according to directives by maranan verabonon, the curriculum at chareidi institutions cannot be subject to outside intervention. Rabbi Gafni noted that according to recent studies, chareidi institutions rank far higher than government schools even in the sciences. MK Rabbi Meir Porush also spoke at the rostrum, reiterating Rabbi Gafni's declaration that Chinuch Atzmai institutions would not consent to outside intervention in formulating their curriculum. He also attacked the government education system for knowingly teaching students heresy.

On several previous occasions Chinuch Atzmai heads have clearly stated that its curriculum is under the exclusive guidance of gedolei Yisroel and no outside intervention will be tolerated.

The Education Minister went on to explain that the Core Curriculum program is a real revolution in Israeli education and therefore must be done gradually. She expressed hopes that "the program's implementation in the chareidi sector would be done with understanding and dialogue, without confrontations and without hatred . . . There are some figures who would like us to cut off funding to all chareidi schools immediately, and this is not going to happen."

She rejected a demand by Knesset Education Committee Chairman Ilan Shalgi (Shinui) to discontinue funding chareidi education institutions, saying his remarks are unfounded and senseless. In a recent press announcement Livnat denounced "the Knesset Education Committee Chairman's verbal attack against the Education Ministry on the matter of implementing the Core program in the chareidi sector." Shalgi demanded the Education Minister stop channeling funds to chareidi schools that do not teach according to the Core program which the State committed to four years ago. In response Livnat said, "Stopping funding is inconceivable since that would mean stopping studies at these institutions."

Ranking Education Ministry officials also attacked Shalgi, saying, "He ought to consult ranking ministry officials to look into the details of the issue rather than acting on reports he reads in the media."

In her announcement to the press Livnat said, "Shinui ministers and MK Ilan Shalgi would like us to stop funding the chareidi education institutions and send their children into the streets. We would not even consider that since we see ourselves as obligated and responsible for the education of all yaldei Yisrael . . . Shalgi acts based on political considerations alone."

The Education Minister contacted Knesset Chairman Reuven Rivlin to complain about the conduct of Education Committee Chairman Shalgi at a recent committee meeting. According to Livnat the Education Ministry was invited to participate in the meeting on the issue of stopping funding for buses to a specific school in Tefen. Ministry representatives prepared for a discussion on that matter but to their astonishment the Committee Chairman decided to hold a general discussion on cutting NIS 50 million from the Education Ministry's transportation budget, with Tefen merely serving as an example.

All of the representatives summoned to appear received notice of the change in advance -- except for the Education Ministry representatives. Livnat saw the apparent oversight as a deliberate act of discrimination against representatives from her ministry designed as a pitfall for the Education Ministry, to prevent Ministry representatives from participating in the discussion with proper preparation.

Livnat says the school-bus budget was cut at the Finance Ministry's initiative and despite Education Ministry objections. Finance Ministry representatives did not even bother to appear at the meeting to discuss the matter. Nevertheless the Committee Chairman decided to place all blame on the Education Ministry, thereby harming a long history of good relations between the ministry and the committee. The Education Minister has announced she would not send representatives to Education Committee meetings until she receives an apology from the Chairman.

 

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