The Education Ministry legal advisor feels the current ministry budget may be discriminatory in favor of certain sectors and as such, all funds are frozen. This is causing hardship for many, including the chareidi schools.

According to the coalition agreements, the Shas-affiliated Mayan Chinuch education network is slated to receive an additional NIS 69 million in the 2015-2016 budget in addition to NIS tens of millions for addition school hours and NIS 12 million for busing of students in Chinuch Atzmai schools. However these funds are now on hold pending a ruling from the ministry’s legal advisor, who feels the ministry may be favoring one sector over others.

It is pointed out the funds in question were a part of the annual budget for chareidi schools but these sums were cut during the 19th Knesset when Shai Piron served as minister of education.

It is most unlikely that the chareidi parties will permit canceling these portions of the budget and if the legal advisor rules the allocations are unacceptable, a coalition crisis may result.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)