Israeli Government Admits Paying for Core Curriculum Not Actually Taught in Haredi Schools

Between 2014 and 2022, the Israeli Ministry of Education imposed hundreds of fines on Haredi educational institutions for failing to meet core curriculum requirements. However, in a recent response to the Supreme Court submitted in July 2023, the government admitted that these fines were never actually enforced. These fines, known as offsets, were relatively symbolic compared to the financial gains these institutions received by joining state-funded networks.

The offsets were tied to a funding method used primarily by two Haredi school networks, Agudat Yisrael's Independent Education and Shas's Bnei Yosef, which was canceled a year ago. Under this method, these networks were funded based on actual expenses rather than statutory entitlements. An investigation revealed that the government waived offsets totaling approximately 103 million shekels across 346 cases.

This issue is part of broader administrative irregularities uncovered in recent years through petitions by the Hiddush organization and activist Israel Kreuzer. Many Haredi schools joined these networks to secure equal funding to state education without intending to comply with the full core curriculum. For example, some schools reduce weekly hours in math, English, and science, substitute English with other languages, or receive partial exemptions for late teaching periods.

According to the Ministry of Finance calculations attached to the petition, 176 institutions (34%) fail to meet the Haredi core curriculum requirements, with 134 schools not even covering 75% of the curriculum. In total, 2,551 core curriculum hours funded by the state are not actually taught. Additionally, 68% of Haredi schools employ teachers without professional certification in core subjects, and 44 schools have no qualified teachers for math, English, or science.

The government's legal advisor, Gali Baharav-Miara, ruled that funding should be conditioned on full compliance with core curriculum requirements starting this school year. However, the Ministry of Education is expected to resist swift enforcement. Former Education Minister Shai Piron advocates strengthening state-funded Haredi education (MAMACH) through legislation mandating its establishment where there is sufficient demand, similar to the state-religious education model. Yet, in many municipalities, coalition pressures from Haredi political partners block the opening of such schools to avoid competition. The Ministry of Education declined to comment.