Chareidi lawmakers are concerned over some of the proposed changes in the Finance Ministry’s proposals regarding the Ordinance Law. One such change appears on page 52, paragraph 2:2 of the proposal addressing funding and child allowances for students attending non-recognized schools.
To date, some chareidi sector schools are labeled “recognized but non-official”, meaning that while they are officially not part of the national public school system, they are recognized as complying with the state’s educational curriculum and therefore, enjoy 75% of the funding received by state schools.
The new proposal would grant these schools 100% equal funding. On the flip side, parents sending their children non-recognized schools, those institutions unwilling to conform to the state’s requirements, or on principle do not accept state funds, categories encompassing many chareidi institutions, will not be eligible for monthly child payment allowances. In addition, parents whose children do not appear on the roster of a registered school or a child is absent for 50 days [without medical documentation], will also not be entitled to the monthly allowance.
This would also apply to many schools lacking ‘recognition’ due to technical delays in paperwork, or new schools that haven’t yet received recognition. The new law would tie into the Bituach Leumi, linking compliance with the educational demands to the Bituach Leumi payments.
Parents whose children do not appear on the roster of a recognized school will be in violation of the law. Schools will be compelled to submit identity numbers of students to Bituach Leumi monthly, informing the government agency which children are missing. Officials report there are currently 30,000 children ages 6-18 who do not appear on the roster of recognized institutions. The government explains it fears such children will have difficulty integrating into society and in the future, will find themselves in need of state aid to earn a basic livelihood.
Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush in his first response to the proposal stated coalition agreements protect the independence of the chareidi educational institutions. Porush stated he will work towards finding a solution for parents whose children attend a non-recognized school regarding monthly child allowance payments, expressing confidence that a suitable arrangement will be found.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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5 Responses
Well it must be time to get recognized.
Can I start a school in my basement and expect the government to give my students and myself funding?
“Can I start a school in my basement…?”–sayitlikeitis (n0 1)
What has the school your child attends have to do with his elegibility for a CHILD allowance?
Is he less of a child, because he attends a hareidi school? Does that make him a non-person?
The allowance is for families who HAVE CHILDREN. It is not supposed to be used as blackmail to force hareidim to kowtow to secular demands.
Deepthinker.
It was the Charedim who played fast and loose with the child allowances. Back in 2000 or se, they forced through a law giving very little money per child to those families with under 5 children and a significant amount of money per child to those families with 5 or more children.
Who was that law written for if not for the charedim. Isreali Arabs also benefitted. It meant that a secular child was worth less that a charedi one. The seculars hated that law and it is now payback time. This is continuation of the seculat backlash against the Charedi arregance for passing that law.
Truancy is an issue in this country-not only for Jews but for the arab population as well. This new law will force parents to ensure that their children attend school. With a relatively small population in the entire Israel, 30,000 children missing from school is unacceptable! This 30,000 is a typical number for a small city in Israel. Imagine a city of 30,000 with illiterate citizens that lack basic skills in reading, math and science. This is what the lawmakers are trying to prevent from happening. I think this is not a charedi-non charedi issue, but concern for the future of the country by investing in its youth.
Very clever move.
Not aimed at the charedim but at our dear cousins residents of the land of Israel. Stop and think why a new right wing government sees this as a priority.
A report I saw published a few years ago suggested that pregnant Palestinian women would borrow an I.D. from an Israeli Arab with similar appearance and would ensure that her new born child received an Israeli Birth certificate and I.D. number after giving birth at an Israeli hospital. No one would be any the wiser as to what had gone wrong. The financial advantage is simple: Child Benefits. It also appears as if there are more Arabs in israel than there really are.
Now, how does anyone figure that the child isn’t Israeli and is really growing up in the Palestinian territories?
Only when the child misses his first day at school. Hence the connection