Israel to Fund Chareidi Schools That Teach Math, English and Science

Israel’s Education and Finance ministries said that they will fund chareidi schools that teach math, English, and science, without requiring them to include other core curricula. Other class subjects that won’t be required include Hebrew, social studies, and physical education.

According to the announcement, the plan will allow chareidi boys’ schools to receive around $1,700, on the condition that a third of their students pass an exam testing their knowledge in the three required fields.

The Finance Ministry explained that the plan – to be implemented this coming school year – is only intended for boys’ schools, as at most chareidi girls’ institutions, the full core curriculum is already studied.

It is the first attempt by the Finance and Education ministries to broadly promote Israel’s core curriculum at chareidi schools since 2014 – when then-education minister Shai Piron founded the public chareidi education system.

That public system teaches the entire core curriculum, and is under full Education Ministry supervision in exchange for full funding, effectively marginalizing the system.

“I find the Finance Ministry’s solution a mistake,” said Prof. Lotem Perry-Hazan, of the education policy department at Haifa University.

“Funding for [chareidi] schools is allegedly supposed to be conditioned on partial core studies, even though it doesn’t happen in practice. Rather than ensure that the institutions meet their current obligations, they are promised more funding,” she told Haaretz. “What kind of message does that send about the rule of law, and who guarantees that we won’t lose this round as well?”