The Finance Ministry has reversed its earlier decision to cut state
funding for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva high schools that do not teach core
subjects like math, English, science and civics and do not have their
students take matriculation exams.
Ha'aretz reports:
The Finance Ministry has reversed its earlier decision to cut state funding for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva high schools that do not teach core subjects like math, English, science and civics and do not have their students take matriculation exams.
The ministry’s reversal follows its decision to forgo cuts to the ultra-Orthodox elementary schools affiliated with the Shas and United Torah Judaism parties.…
Last week, it was reported that Lapid had withdrawn a planned 25 percent cut in funding for schools affiliated with Shas and United Torah Judaism that are entitled to 75 percent of the funding received by regular state-run schools. The Finance and Education Ministries had explained their desire to carry out the cuts at the Haredi schools as resulting from the schools’ failure to fully administer national and international standardized tests, teach core subjects and employ faculty members who meet Education Ministry qualifications. The cuts were deferred based on a legal opinion that such a move could not be carried out without providing alternative schools for the children there.
Lapid has said the plan will go forward in six months after a state-sponsored Haredi education system is set up, but it is not clear if this can actually be accomplished within such a timeframe. If the plan is successful, it will be the first time Haredi students have had access to a school system under full Education Ministry supervision.
The full Ha'aretz article is very unclear, and it is written by a reporter who does not usually cover haredi issues.
It appears Lapid plans to implement cuts to haredi yeshiva high schools in the same way he plans to do so to haredi grade schools – in 6 months after an alternative school system is set up.
But this is Israel, after all, and politicians there only loosely tethered to the truth, so time will tell.