MK Meir Porush pushes groundbreaking legislation to extend Israel’s Compulsory Education Law to infants—sparking debate over state responsibility, parental rights, and the future of early childhood education.
In a dramatic proposal that could reshape Israeli family life, MK Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) has introduced a bill to provide free and compulsory education starting at just three months of age—directly after the paid portion of maternity leave ends.
Under current law, Israeli mothers receive six months of maternity leave, but only 15 weeks are paid, forcing most back to work around the three-month mark. Daycare subsidies already exist from that point, but Porush’s bill goes far further: It would expand Israel’s Compulsory Education Law to cover infants from three months to three years old.
The State would assume full responsibility for funding, operating, and supervising these early-childhood institutions. They would operate under the Education Ministry’s strict safety, sanitary, and pedagogical standards, with a curriculum tailored for cognitive, emotional, social, and motor development.
Porush cited research showing that early childhood education narrows social gaps and boosts long-term success. He emphasized that the bill’s purpose is not only to help every child reach their potential, but also to ease the crushing burden on working parents—especially mothers—and strengthen Israel’s workforce integration.
But the proposal also raises political and cultural questions. It could challenge the coalition, since it touches on funding for yeshiva families and recalls earlier controversies over the “Free Education From Age Three” law, which later became mandatory despite being initially presented as optional. Critics warn of government overreach into parental choices, while supporters hail it as a social revolution in the making.
If passed, Israel would become one of the only nations in the world to guarantee state-funded education from infancy, reaffirming its commitment to families, equality, and the next generation.
