What it is about
Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, the beginning of the new school year in Israel has been marked by teacher strikes, presenting significant challenges to the educational system. These strikes reflect deeper issues related to underfunding and increasing workloads for teachers, exacerbated by wartime conditions.
Why it matters
The current situation in Israeli education has far-reaching implications for the country’s future. Amid resistance to inadequate funding and challenging working conditions, teachers are striving to provide stability for students in a time of crisis. The country’s leaders must ensure education remains robust during and after the conflict to support the next generation of Israelis.
The big picture
On August 31, Israeli teachers declared a strike, halting the start of high school sessions across the country— a strike that still continues a week later. The teachers’ grievances are centered around insufficient salaries and unsatisfactory contracts. The strikes signify more extensive issues within the educational system as the nation grapples with the repercussions of the war. Unpaid agreed-upon salary increases and broken promises add to the frustration.
The impact of the Israel-Hamas Conflict
The war has deeply affected both teachers and families. With class sizes rising due to family relocations and a workforce crisis, teachers face added stress without appropriate compensation. The conflict prompted a cut of NIS 38 million from the Education Ministry’s budget, further straining the system.
Situation in Jerusalem
Parents in Jerusalem face additional strains. Working parents, especially those now single-handedly running households due to IDF reservist duties, struggle profoundly under current conditions. Non-haredi school chaperone strikes compounded the difficulty, making parents stretch even more to balance work and family demands, endangering employment in many cases.
The bigger challenge
It’s not just about parental strains; students themselves undergo distressing times too. Adolescents have missed out on important developmental phases and normal schooling due to global and local crises. The war inflicts daily emotional and mental upheaval on youngsters, with a reported 84% of Israeli children encountering emotional distress and rising PTSD cases.
What’s being done?
The government’s continued support primarily targets ultra-Orthodox sectors, revealing a disparity in resource distribution across the educational spectrum. To cultivate an equitable and united future, Israel must equally prioritize the needs of all its schoolchildren.
Conclusion
Israeli education needs resilient support and proper funding. The state has already sacrificed a generation to conflict; it’s essential to provide the next generation the necessary educational and emotional scaffolding to excel rather than becoming additional casualties of ongoing wars and crises.
This story was first published on jpost.com.