Directors of Haredi preschool networks told a panel on Kikar HaShabbat that the current Education Ministry budget does not cover actual teacher salaries, calling for the "Ofek Hadash" reform to be applied to Haredi preschools. "We have reached the end of our ability," they said.
In a panel broadcast tonight on Kikar HaShabbat, directors of Haredi preschool networks escalated their public campaign for adequate state funding. The speakers stated that the current budget allocations from the Education Ministry fall short of covering actual teacher salaries, creating an unsustainable financial strain on the networks. They called for applying the 'Ofek Hadash' (New Horizon) education reform—which raised teacher pay and standards in the general sector—to the Haredi preschool system as well. "We have reached the end of our ability," they said. As The Zioneer has previously reported (June 25 and June 28), Agudath Yisrael preschool network director Rabbi Yisrael Golomb has been sounding the alarm over pay disparity and funding gaps between Haredi and general-sector early-education frameworks. Tonight's panel represents a collective step beyond individual complaints, suggesting the networks are coordinating a more assertive push for policy change. No immediate response from the Education Ministry was reported in the panel's discussion.
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