Seminaries across the country will retain the longstanding
two-year program rather than yielding to Education Ministry
pressure to add a third year after gedolei Yisroel
shlita told principals to resist the decree firmly.
At a meeting in the office of Education Ministry Director
Shmuel Abuhav, and attended by MKs from UTJ, top-ranking
ministry officials decided to concede to the demand to retain
the existing formulation and that graduates will still be
eligible to receive an Teaching License and salaries in
accordance with the pay scale for licensed teachers at
chareidi schools, without any time limits.
Following the agreement, it was decided UTJ would provide the
seminaries NIS 16 million ($3.7 million) of the NIS 290
million ($67 million) awarded it when the budget was
approved.
MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni said the arrangement with the Education
Ministry represents an implementation of instructions by
maranan verabonon to stand firm against any effort to
extend the seminary program beyond two years. After the
meeting Rabbi Gafni went to update Maran HaRav Eliashiv
shlita, who was pleased with the achievement.
Earlier the Association of Bais Yaakov Seminary Principals
held an emergency meeting to discuss the dangers to the
independence of Bais Yaakov seminaries represented by the
attempt by the Education Ministry to force seminaries to add
a third year to the study program.
The principals were adamantly opposed to the Education
Ministry's requirement to have Bais Yaakov students attend
seminary for three years, which represents a departure from
the structure set by gedolei Yisroel of earlier
generations.
As part of efforts to reinstate the original two-year study
program, the Association decided not to register 5766
graduates for any advanced tenure studies at the seminaries
or through other frameworks until the matter has been
remedied, which is now the case.
The principals said their aim is to ensure Chinuch Atzmai
enjoys total independence to allow bnos Yisroel to be
educated in the manner prescribed by gedolei Yisroel zt"l
ylct"a.
