Israel’s Ministry of Education demands more workdays for teachers coming from a two-months school lockdown.
Additional workdays for teachers
After the two months lockdown period due to COVID-19, schools in Israel are making up with lost time and extending the school year 2019-2020 till July. But the Ministry of Education officials wanted more workdays for teachers that will probably end the school year by summer months.
To keep up with the lost time during the two months lockdown, the Ministry of Education is appealing to the National Labor Court to oblige schools for additional workdays for teachers, even just for at least nine more days.
The Teachers Union for elementary schools doesn’t decline to the mandate of the Ministry of Education. Still, the Teachers Union from middle and high school levels will greatly influence their decision.
As of the moment, the Teacher’s Association in the middle and high school levels is against the extension wanted by the ministry. The Association is led by their chairman, Ran Erez, which is very firm in his stand against the additional workdays for teachers extension.
National Labor Court
The Israeli Finance Ministry Department warned teachers from the secondary level on refusing to report for the additional days mandated by the Ministry of Education will result in not receiving full compensation of their salary from the hours spent in online learning classes during the lockdown.
Erez, the spokesperson and chairman for the Association for Secondary School Teachers, warns the ministry that he is willing to stand up to them in court no matter what.
The Ministry of Education has already filed the petition in the National Labor Court and is waiting for the ruling on the matter.
According to Education Minister Yoav Gallant, his office won’t be tolerating anarchy in Israel’s education system. This is an action intended to nurture the education system of Israel and not as a means for demoralizing teachers and abusing their services.
