Willow Tree

Hafganah!!!! (Protest) For Teachers

The Misard HaHinoch (Education Ministry), in its infinite wisdom, seeks to fire 4,500 teachers from its payrolls.

Exactly who and what services are they going to cut? My daughter's class is about 30 or so girls. This is normal. There are classes that reach 40 in some parts of the country. Will classes now reach college-size proportions? Or do they seek to cut the arts, music, sports and other "non-essential" departments, essentially leaving children with a gaping hole in knowledge and development? Not to mention the fact that these "non-essential" classes provide a sense of pride and accomplishment, as well as a possible avenue of revenue, for those students who are less academically inclined.

Will parents have to make up for the shorter hours by scrambling to find babysitters and alternative, paid for care, so they can continue to work and support the family? Or will children, young children be left alone for a large part of their day? By how much will the welfare rolls be increased? Charities are already stretched beyond their means? What will happen to the children, and the dependents of these teachers who are counting on their parents' salary, often mother's salary, to keep their heads above water?

This is one of those "penny wise, pound foolish" concepts. I hope it remains just an idea and, for the sake of all, remains just a silly idea that someone once had, and is less to molder in a folder somewhere on the shelves in the Misard HaHinoch offices.