Middle schools and high schools will be able to shorten the school week to five days

The Ministry of Education announced that middle schools and high schools that choose to do so will be able to shorten the school week to five days a week, Sunday through Thursday. Today, about a third of the schools in the country study five days a week, mainly in the regional councils, as well as in some local authorities such as Tel Aviv. The program is not intended for elementary schools and kindergartens, which will continue to operate for six days a week. Thus, Israel will continue to be the only state among the developed countries that teaches six days a week in most of its educational institutions.
The Ministry of Education aims for all post-primary schools to move on to studies for five days a week until the school year that begins in 2022. The Ministry of Education's decision is contrary to the election promise of the Minister of Education, Yifat Shasha-Bitton, to shorten the school week to five days in the entire education system, and to the Bank of Israel's plan to shorten the holidays by canceling classes on Fridays in the entire education system.
In addition, the Ministry of Education has announced that teachers who teach in schools that join in shortening the school week will also be able to receive a partial salary for working from home. Teachers are now required to stay and work at the school for 10-9 hours, as part of their wage agreement, and they are not paid for work they do at the end of the work day from home. Under the agreement, teachers in schools who move to a five-day school week will be able to reduce their school hours by five hours, and receive compensation for them so that their salaries are not harmed.
In addition, the teachers' union claims that teachers in schools that join the move will be able to work a full-time job four days a week, instead of five days under the wage agreement with them, if they are studying for an academic degree.
The activity of the education system in Israel for six days a week creates many distortions that impair its effectiveness, mainly because the teachers' work week consists of five days a week.
To run the system for another day, the Ministry of Education employs additional teachers, assistants and supplementary kindergarten teachers. Also, the addition of a school day, compared to developed countries, entails a greater investment in school hours, compared to other countries, which is not reflected in student achievement.The Ministry of Education announced today (Monday) that middle schools and high schools that choose to do so will be able to shorten the school week to five days a week, Sunday through Thursday. Today, about a third of the schools in the country study five days a week, mainly in the regional councils, as well as in some local authorities such as Tel Aviv. The program is not intended for elementary schools and kindergartens, which will continue to operate for six days a week. Thus, Israel will continue to be the only state among the developed countries that teaches six days a week in most of its educational institutions.
The Ministry of Education aims for all post-primary schools to move on to studies for five days a week until the school year that begins in 2022. The Ministry of Education's decision is contrary to the election promise of the Minister of Education, Yifat Shasha-Bitton, to shorten the school week to five days in the entire education system, and to the Bank of Israel's plan to shorten the holidays by canceling classes on Fridays in the entire education system.
In addition, the Ministry of Education has announced that teachers who teach in schools that join in shortening the school week will also be able to receive a partial salary for working from home. Teachers are now required to stay and work at the school for 10-9 hours, as part of their wage agreement, and they are not paid for work they do at the end of the work day from home. Under the agreement, teachers in schools who move to a five-day school week will be able to reduce their school hours by five hours, and receive compensation for them so that their salaries are not harmed.
In addition, the teachers' union claims that teachers in schools that join the move will be able to work a full-time job four days a week, instead of five days under the wage agreement with them, if they are studying for an academic degree.
The activity of the education system in Israel for six days a week creates many distortions that impair its effectiveness, mainly because the teachers' work week consists of five days a week.
To run the system for another day, the Ministry of Education employs additional teachers, assistants and supplementary kindergarten teachers. Also, the addition of a school day, compared to developed countries, entails a greater investment in school hours, compared to other countries, which is not reflected in student achievement.