“We’re talking here about a process of elimination, not a gradual
process. The purpose is to eliminate the [exempt] institutions, and
there is no intent here to find common ground or to help [the haredi
community].”
As it now stands, haredi students on average get only four hours of secular studies per week – almost exclusively arithmetic and Hebrew language – and those classes are taught late in the afternoon, usually by unqualified teachers.
The government is about to pass a plan to try to change that, and haredi lawmakers are reportedly fuming.
The new plan would require haredi schools to teach at lest 11 hours of secular subjects per week – less than two hours each school day of the 6-day haredi school week.
The plan reduces, but does not completely eliminate, funding for schools that do not comply.
Nevertheless, the Jerusalem Post reported, haredi lawmakers were incensed:
• MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni of the Ashkenazi haredi United Torah Judaism Party said that if the bill is passed he would recommend that haredi schools cut off all contact with the Ministry of Education.
He also called MKs Ruth Calderon and Yifat Kariv “evil.”
• MK Nissim Ze’ev of the Sefardi haredi Shas Party said the bill was an example of the “culture war” that is being waged against the haredi community by Israel’s non-haredim.
• MK Ya’acov Asher of the Ashkenazi haredi United Torah Judaism Party said, “We’re talking here about a process of elimination, not a gradual process. The purpose is to eliminate the [exempt] institutions, and there is no intent here to find common ground or to help [the haredi community].”
Related Post: Haredi Students Get On Average Only 4 Hours Per Week Of Secular Studies.