Around 20 haredi schools are planning to switch to the state-haredi education system, Israeli media reported on Friday.
The schools belong to various ultra-Orthodox sects, including those closely associated with political parties Shas and United Torah Judaism. They are expected to complete the switch before the start of the new school year in autumn.
The schools are associated with the Belz, Sanz, and Seret-Vizhnitz Hassidim, the Independent Education System (associated with UTJ), and the Bnei Yosef—Ma'ayan HaChinuch HaTorani education network (associated with Shas).
These currently operate under the Chinuch Atzmai (Independent religious schools) system, which provides primarily religious education with little secular education and, consequently, receives no state funding.
These independent religious schools are controlled by similar Rabbinical councils as their corresponding parties. The Marker reported that the leaders in Haredi society oppose joining the state-haredi system because it is not controlled by their political parties.
The state-Haredi system
The proposed change would bring these schools under the state-Haredi education system, created in 2014 to encourage Haredi schools to receive state funding and adopt core studies.
The State-Haredi system does not exist in law but was created as a compromise to help increase secular education in Haredi society; currently, only around 4-5% of all Haredi schools belong to the new system.
The new schools would bring the total number of schools in the state system to 80, around 9%, hoping that more will join if it proves successful.
The switch to the state system would bring much-needed funds and advice from the Education Ministry, as well as the promise to construct at least five new schools for these communities, according to Haaretz.
The new funds are expected to support adopting a core studies curriculum and appointing Education Ministry advisors to help implement state education standards. Additionally, all teachers will be paid from the state budget and become state employees.
A failed compromise
Israeli media speculated that the move was caused by the inability of haredi lawmakers to open up more funds for improving private haredi education and increasing legal challenges to the haredi education system.
Some of the changes have been led by the Belzer Rebbe, Yissachar Dov Rokeach, who has been pushing for increasing education funding in his community.
The current push seems to have been caused by the failure of the previous compromise, the "Belz Outline," negotiated with the Finance Ministry in 2022.
This compromise was meant to allow haredi schools to receive a budgetary supplement based on their students' performance in external mathematics, English, and science exams.
The Ministry unilaterally canceled this compromise after UTJ officials pressured the relevant minister, Haim Biton (Shas).
Reports indicate that several haredi groups, including Belz, tried to appeal the decision and reach a new compromise with the help of Yesh Atid MK Moshe Tur-Paz but were blocked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shas.
Tur-Paz told Haaretz, "The time has come for haredi parents to be able to choose what kind of education they want for their children."
According to Israel's Channel 10, Shas's leadership, including Aryeh Deri and Haim Biton, strongly opposed these groups joining the State-Haredi system.
Channel 10 also reports that Shas has been exerting pressure on the mayor of Netivot, Yehiel Zohar, and the Education Minister, Yoav Kisch, to block the move without success.
Fears that successful defections of Shas schools to the state-Haredi system would lead to a rush of defections seem to be the driver behind the attempts to block the move.
An official at the Education Ministry told Israel Hayom that the defections are driven by the need to receive steady funding for their education and the wish to no longer be delayed in funds by their own parties.