Israel: Teachers Union Pushes Back Against Draconian Student Covid Quarantine Rules

i24 News – Israel’s Teachers Union pushed back against new quarantine rules for students that it believes puts teachers at risk.

The new rules no longer require students who come in contact with a confirmed Covid carrier to isolate, instead opting for twice a week testing to make sure they aren’t positive for the illness.

Israel’s Teachers Union, led by Yaffa Ben-David, organized a wildcat strike, promptly blocked by the Labor Court after government lawyers filed an injunction calling it a “violent and political strike.”

Achaz Agam, Head of the Kindergarten, Israeli Parents Association, spoke to i24NEWS about the dispute and his belief that children should be back in school.

Agam mentioned the lack of stability that children faced while Israel and the world shut down due to Covid.

“The damage to their health is much more severe if they’ll stay home than if they’ll go to the institutions. And even the teachers agree with that.”

When asked about the report of PIMS developing in children that contact omicron, and whether the government should have held off on implementing the new rules, Agam replied, “I believe that the new government believes that education comes first, and our kids come first.”

“I’m really happy that someone took a brave decision and put education ahead of everything. It’s not easy.”

{Matzav.com Israel}