Heads of local authorities responded to the Education Ministry's new informal education budget, saying they welcome any investment in youth but were astonished to find that most of the approved funds are directed to frameworks for ages 18+ and youth movements, without reaching the municipal youth departments that serve the majority of Israeli youth.
The municipality leaders' statement, reported by Yael Odem (N12), follows the cabinet's approval of a NIS 100 million supplement for informal education — a move that, at the time, appeared to celebrate youth investment across multiple frameworks including youth movements, service-year programs, and student villages. As The Zioneer reported on June 11, that allocation was framed as a broad victory for informal education. The criticism now sharpens the picture: the mayors and council heads argue the budget bypasses the very municipal youth departments that reach the widest segment of Israeli youth. The precise breakdown of the approved budget — and whether municipal youth departments were explicitly excluded — remains unconfirmed by the Education Ministry.
2 developments
- DevelopingCabinet approves NIS 100M boost for informal education
- DevelopingGovernment to allocate targeted food-and-clothing budget for hilltop youth
- StrongState admits in High Court petition that religious-state schools receive higher funding
- StrongGovernment refers NIS 1 billion settlement budget to cabinet for confidential approval
Source and signal
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