For many years I roamed the halls of the Knesset, and I often heard the catchphrases: "In six months' time" or "in 90 days" or sometimes "at some point in the coming year." In the lexicon of Israeli politics, all these catchphrases mean the same thing: "Never" or "probably never" or, in its most optimistic form "yes, but after much delay, if at all."
The same interpretation is applicable to Education Minister Shai Piron's "in six months' time" estimate, after having already postponed the implementation of his vow to impose core studies curricula on haredi (ultra-Orthodox) schools. The only thing still being debated is which Shas member was responsible for making Yesh Atid (Piron's party) back down -- Aryeh Deri or Eli Yishai.
This matter should not have been left up to the Education Ministry's legal adviser. Who asked him to intervene? And did his intervention benefit Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid in deferring his most important commitment?
The average Israeli citizen doesn't give a lot of thought to the importance of core studies. Everyone thinks that the most important thing right now is to ensure that the haredim contribute their part in terms of military or national service. (This effort, too, won't amount to much in the end, even if some degree of progress is made).
But studying core subjects is even more important than military or national service. This type of education has the potential to open up a window for haredi and Shas youth and alter their futures in such a way that will enable them to integrate into the workforce, thus freeing them of the poverty currently imposed on them by their leaders and rabbis.
On Wednesday, an OECD report suggested that poverty is worse in Israel than in any other OECD member country. According to the report, of Israel's 1.8 million poor, 1.2 million are Arab or haredi (though I don't believe the problem is quite as widespread as the report suggests because many of the so-called poor work in a parallel gray market, and aren't registered as taxpayers despite commanding an income. The Israeli government is not doing enough to combat this phenomenon. For example, the state could monitor the merchandise shipped by construction contractors in both the Arab and haredi sectors who don't provide receipts for goods or services rendered).
Why is this? Because in the absence of a core studies education, these people don't have access to the lucrative jobs in the modern industry -- like jobs in high tech, various engineering jobs or officer posts in the Israel Defense Forces. Therefore, they are relegated to the socio-economic ghetto of Bnei Brak (an ultra-Orthodox city in central Israel), chained to the table of mercy and charity, rather than walking tall and earning an honest living.
Mathematics and English are key skills in the modern workforce, and studying these subjects will extricate the haredim from poverty. Hebrew literature and history are the foundation of Israeli unity, and the content of these subjects forces agreement among haredim and secular Israelis, including the many fundamental Jewish texts that are currently taught as part of Israel's core studies curriculum.
The contents of the curriculum are familiar to anyone who shows any interest. Even in the sensitive areas of humanities studies. Obviously some of the poems written by Hayim Nahman Bialik are okay and all the works of provocative poetess Yona Wallach are not. There is no need for any further preparation -- only to implement the proper education curriculum.
One could argue that no suitable teachers have been recruited yet, and that obviously anyone tasked with teaching in the haredi education system will have to abide by haredi customs: arrive in class dressed modestly, wear a kippa on his head, and absolutely refrain from going off on tangents that could be contrary to tradition and to the structure of these communities.
But Lapid and Piron shouldn't have handed this victory to Deri and Yishai on a silver platter. They should have insisted that from now on, all haredi schools are open to educators who teach core studies, and that the implementation of the core studies curriculum will commence immediately. They should have explained that the haredi education budget would not be cut, as long as the core studies curriculum is implemented, and that any delay won't affect the budget, but only if Piron fails to recruit suitable teachers.
The sweeping deferment of applying budget cuts to schools that refuse to implement core studies curricula was the wrong move. If no cuts are made, at least incorporate core studies into a quarter or a third of the haredi education institutions, employing as many suitable teachers as the budget allows.
That is what someone who is ready to wage a serious fight for core studies would have done. Because unless action is taken, "in six months" will become "in another six months" and so on and so forth. Don't let that happen.
טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו