A Chareidi schoolgirl in Tiveria was fined 20 shekels after a button on her clothing was left open, prompting a sharp response from Israel’s Education Ministry and renewed scrutiny over the use of monetary penalties as a disciplinary measure in schools.
The incident reportedly occurred at an educational institution affiliated with Karlin-Stolin, where the open button was deemed a violation of the school’s tznius regulations.
The institution has not issued an official response to the report. The Education Ministry, however, strongly criticized what occurred, saying, “This is a serious incident that should not have happened.”
According to the ministry, its examination of the matter determined that the document setting out the fine was not a recently approved school policy and had been distributed by a staff member without authorization.
“The ministry’s inquiry found that this was an old document that was distributed by a staff member without the knowledge or approval of the school administration. Following the incident, the procedures were clarified to the staff, and the supervisory authorities will ensure that it does not happen again,” the Education Ministry said.
The controversy is not the first time the Education Ministry has been asked to address the practice of educational institutions imposing financial penalties on students for disciplinary infractions.
A 2024 report by Israel’s Public Complaints Commission detailed a case involving a Chareidi seminary that charged students 25 shekels for lateness and absences. Students who requested an additional opportunity to take an examination were also charged 30 shekels.
At the time, the seminary explained that the money was intended in part to cover the costs of staff members who prepared and reviewed assignments given to students as a consequence of their lateness or absences.
The matter was referred to the director of the Education Ministry’s Chareidi district. Following an investigation, the ministry determined that collecting the payments was “improper and illegal.”
The seminary’s administration was subsequently informed of the finding, and the institution discontinued the practice.
Under Israel’s Compulsory Education Law, education provided under the law is generally free, although certain exceptions allow schools to collect specified payments from parents. Disciplinary fines are not included among the categories of payments that educational institutions are permitted to collect.
{Matzav.com}
