With the Teachers’ Union threatening to boycott preparations and ministries feuding over school security funding, the start of Israel’s school year hangs in the balance.
The Center for Local Government filed a petition with the Labor Court on Sunday against the Teachers’ Union, seeking injunctions to prevent looming disruptions in high school preparations.
The move comes after Teachers’ Union Chairman Ran Erez warned last week that unless a wage deal is reached with the Ministry of Finance, teachers will boycott preparation days in late August and stay out of classrooms until September 1.
“If there is no agreement, there will be no preparations and no classrooms,” Erez declared.
⚠️ Parallel Crisis Over School Security Funds
At the same time, a separate budgetary dispute threatens the opening of the academic year.
The clash involves the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of National Security, centering on NIS 250 million earmarked for securing schools in the 2025 state budget.
- The Ministry of National Security demands immediate access to the funds.
- The Ministry of Education warns that without clarity, school openings could be delayed.
- The Ministry of Finance insists the money was already transferred but claims Minister Haim Katz — who replaced Itamar Ben-Gvir — redirected the funds to other priorities.
🎓 School Year in Jeopardy
With teachers threatening a boycott on one side and security funding tied up in political disputes on the other, students and parents face mounting uncertainty just days before the new academic year is set to begin.
Unless both crises are resolved swiftly, Israel could see a delayed or chaotic school opening, with implications for hundreds of thousands of students nationwide.
