Will working mothers in the Haredi sector once again be forced to wait for the Minister of Education's decision regarding after-school care?
In recent years, in what has become a dubious tradition, the operation of after-school programs began three to six months late from the start of the school year, which created great difficulty for working families, and especially for working mothers in the Haredi community, who were able to go to work with the help of the after-school programs, and are now in distress.
Following a dispute between the Ministries of Finance and Education, due to the need for budget cuts, given the heavy expenses as part of Operation Protective Edge, the Ministry of Education has not yet issued an order to operate after-school programs as part of the Zila program this year.
Beitar Illit Mayor Meir Rubinstein, who serves as chairman of the Forum of Heads of Haredi Authorities in the Local Government Center, decided to take action and, in an urgent letter to Education Minister Shai Piron, asked him to bring forward the opening of the after-school programs, so that they would be approved immediately with the start of the school year.
""Postponing the operation of after-school programs for an unknown period will have serious consequences for working families, and especially for the employment options of working mothers, who were based on a commitment to work based on the existence of after-school programs," Rubinstein writes.
""The continuation of the current delay and the late opening of after-school programs as in previous years - three to six months after the start of the school year - is a serious blow to employees, sabotages the possibility of going to work, and even causes mothers who are already working to lose their jobs.".
The mayor of Betar also mentions: "The alternatives that exist during the long interim period are in many cases leaving children without an adequate framework, and in any case - an arrangement that certainly does not benefit the children.".
Rubinstein further adds in his letter: "In light of the fact that the current government declares its commitment to encouraging employment, and especially since this is an arrangement that will eventually be approved - albeit belatedly, I would ask you to order the advancement and acceleration of the procedures for operating the program, so that it can be implemented as early as the beginning of the current school year.".
It should be noted that most local authorities have already done everything necessary to operate the after-school programs, as soon as the Ministry of Education, on whose behalf the after-school programs operate, allows it.
""At Betar too," says Rubinstein, "everything is already set up and ready for the operation of the after-school programs, we are only waiting for approval from the Ministry of Education. I call on the minister to be attentive, understand the urgency of the matter, and immediately allow the operation of the after-school programs.".
Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>
Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
