Following several weeks of concerted efforts the Vaadas
HaRabbonim LeInyonei HaSeminarim and their delegates reversed
the government decree to close many seminaries and to impose
quotas intended to restrict the number of teachers-in-
training in the chareidi sector.
Weeks ago the Ministry of Education announced intentions to
limit the number of students at seminaries for teachers and
kindergarten and nursery-school teachers based on claims
there was no need for so many students to receive teaching
certificates during a time of budget cutting under the new
economic plan. Numerous seminaries across the country
received notices they would no longer be certified for
pedagogical studies, would not receive funding and would not
be able to issue teaching certificates. Various seminaries
also received instructions to limit admissions and to impose
quotas on the number of students enrolled in teacher-training
programs.
Within a short period of time some 15 seminaries would have
been forced to close their doors and tight quotas would have
been instituted at the other seminaries, threatening to
displace a number of students from Bais Yaakov schools
entirely.
Meanwhile another source of pressure on the Bais Yaakov
system came from a pending High Court appeal that claimed
that the chareidi sector was enjoying preferential treatment
since seminaries award teaching credentials after only two
years of study, while in the general sector teaching
certification requires a minimum of four years of study. In
response to this court case, the Education Ministry proposed
requiring a third year of full-time study at seminaries in
order to receive a teaching license.
As early as last year the Education Ministry already began
refusing to recognize new seminaries opened in response to
the natural chareidi population growth. A handful of new
seminaries managed to operate as "extensions" of existing
schools, but others were not recognized at all.
The campaign to annul the decrees, headed by HaRav Nosson
Zochovsky, HaRav Yosef Efrati and HaRav Aryeh Dvir, succeeded
in reversing the third-year requirement the Education
Ministry has been trying to impose in recent years despite
longstanding opposition by maranan verabonon. There
was a concern that the age of marriage would climb if there
were another year of regular schooling for the young women.
On the other hand, there is a desire to provide a proper,
structured environment for most girls until they are ready to
marry.
The Ministry agreed that senior teachers' certificates would
be available only through evening courses held once or twice
per week over a few years rather than a third year of
mandatory full-time study.
At the end of the program that extends for two years past
high school graduation, students will be eligible to receive
temporary teaching certificates valid for a period of six
years. During those six years they will have the option to
complete the classroom hours required for a senior teacher's
certificate, in parallel with working as teachers. The
outside work should take no more than four years of part-time
study.
The two years of study (grades 13 and 14) are to be continued
for all girls, to study education and limudei kodesh,
but the hours of instruction will be reduced by 17.5 percent
by cutting out the practical classroom training that has been
part of the program. This will reduce the cost of those
years, without reducing the limudei kodesh.
Furthermore the agreement stipulates that the number of girls
enrolled in seminaries will be in accordance with the needs
of the chareidi education system. In practice the concept of
"extensions" of seminaries will be eradicated since the
Education Ministry will recognize all existing seminaries.
The rabbonim assigned to negotiate with Education Ministry
officials consulted with gedolei Yisroel on a daily
basis, presenting each and every clause before them.
Throughout the process the primary concern driving maranan
verabonon was to ensure every student would be able to
attend a seminary and receive a teaching credential after two
years of study, conditions they deemed of utmost importance
for the proper education of benos Yisroel.
In tandem with their efforts to annul the decrees restricting
seminaries gedolei Yisroel reiterated their objection
to breaches at certain seminaries that require a full third
year of study and offer extension courses leading to a B.A.
degree.
