Education Minister Kish Calls for Smaller Classes, Shorter School Week

Education Minister Yoav Kisch stated in an interview with "Davar" that the upcoming salary agreement with the Teachers Union must introduce significant changes, including smaller class sizes and a transition to a five-day school week, while maintaining teachers' workload. Kisch expressed opposition to transferring the responsibility for operating the education system entirely to local authorities, citing their lack of readiness for such a dramatic shift, though he supports granting them pedagogical flexibility.

Regarding the recruitment of teachers through individual contracts at higher salaries for limited periods, a program initiated last year, Kisch views it primarily as a tool to fill immediate shortages rather than a central solution to the teacher deficit. He noted that individual contracts are currently limited to 6% of teachers according to the salary agreement with the Teachers Union.

The minister indicated that the new salary agreement, expected in December, is a critical opportunity to implement these reforms. He acknowledged that reducing class sizes would necessitate more teachers but suggested that a five-day week and potentially fewer total instructional hours could compensate. Kisch also dismissed proposals to anchor the status of "Hebrew State Education" and establish a separate council for it, calling it a move by "opposition players" and asserting that the ministry already adequately supports this sector.