Following two weeks of concerted efforts by MK Rabbi Moshe
Gafni to remedy the Chinuch Atzmai bus service, which had
been discontinued yet again due to a lack of funding, Rabbi
Gafni notified the heads of Chinuch Atzmai and various
principals he managed to secure the funding needed to operate
the transportation system at Chinuch Atzmai institutions
around the country.
During the course of the current budget talks in the Knesset
committees, Rabbi Gafni reached an agreement with
representatives from the Finance Ministry's Budget Department
for the immediate transfer of NIS 10 million ($2.25 million)
to cover the costs of bus service. As soon as he had secured
this agreement Rabbi Gafni continued conducting a round of
talks with Education Ministry Director-General Shmuel Abuhav
and legal advisor Dorit Morag to reach a permanent solution
for the busing crisis.
The funding obtained will suffice to cover transportation
expenses through the end of the current school year. During
the next two weeks the Education Ministry will change the
criteria to bring a long-term solution to the ongoing
problem. However, additional funding will still be needed for
students who do not meet the criteria.
UTJ representatives are currently hard at work on writing the
Independence of Chareidi Education Law, which is slated to
include a provision for NIS 15 million for transportation.
Currently government funding for school buses is only
available to government schools. Rabbi Gafni is demanding
this discrimination against chareidi education be rectified
through legislation.
