Teachers Union head warns of strike in preschools, special ed

The Teacher’s Union informed the Education and Health ministries on Sunday that it intends to strike unless the respective ministries begin a discussion with the union about ensuring educator’s safety during the reopening of preschools and special education schools.    

The current policy means that 1.1 million children are supposed to go back to school in classes of up to 35 children without “capsules” (small groups to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection) and with some teachers being able to move between and teach in several classes and even different preschools six days a week. Preschools in “red cities” are also reopening. The Education Ministry suggested that those who work in kindergartens will get checked for COVID-19, but it was not a binding decision.  

Teachers Union Head Yaffa Ben-David called on the Education Ministry to enter “immediate dialogue” with the union to ensure the safety of educators, claiming that the current policy places them at a health risk.  

The ministry made the decision at the last moment and did not include in the discussions leading to it either the Teachers Union or professionals in preschool education within the ministry, The Marker reported. 

Israel previously reopened schools, resulting in a surge in infection rates, deaths and ever expanding chains of infection. Israel has the most crowded kindergartens among OECD countries.  

“The kindergartens opened in a completely irresponsible manner,” preschool teacher Shany Khalfon told KAN on Sunday, “which became a signature for how things are managed here. They announced it on Friday and on Sunday we reopened.”  

Khalfon made it clear that, as she is not a member of any official union, she was able to create her own capsules and to not work on Friday. “But this is stressful,” she said. “I went to comfort those who lost family members to COVID-19 twice in the past week.”  

She added that her teaching staff shows up to work “because they need the money,” so “they must put the financial [aspect of work] before their health.”  

“If they really wanted us to get checked for COVID-19, they would have postponed the reopening until Wednesday,” she claimed.