Israeli Lawmakers Approve Parent Payments Despite Annual Criticism
Israeli households spent approximately 5.2 billion shekels in 2025 on mandatory and voluntary parent payments to educational institutions, excluding daycare and boarding schools. Despite annual criticism from Knesset Education Committee members regarding these payments, which are seen as exacerbating inequality, the committee has consistently approved them. This year, the committee, chaired by MK Zvi Sukkot, approved the parent payment tables without any symbolic concessions for parents, a departure from previous years.
The "free education" law in Israel theoretically covers all teaching and educational work by teachers. The only payment legally defined as mandatory and not related to educational activities is a 69 shekel personal accident insurance fee per student. All other payments, such as for cultural programs, trips, and end-of-year parties, are classified as "voluntary." However, the article argues this classification is misleading, as students whose parents do not pay are often excluded from activities like annual trips, which are part of the curriculum, and social events.
The Ministry of Education announced a 50 million shekel subsidy for students, less than 1% of the total amount parents pay. This was presented as an "achievement" by Ministry Director General Meir Shimoni. The Finance Committee approved about 1.9 billion shekels of these payments, less than half of the estimated total. Over 3 billion shekels are collected annually through categories not even brought for committee approval, primarily "Tal'an" (additional curriculum programs), meaning parliamentary oversight applies to less than 40% of the total.
Past attempts to eliminate these payments, including recommendations from the Langerman Committee in 1992, have failed. The Ministry of Finance at the time refused to commit that any recommendations would not require additional funding for the education budget. Supreme Court petitions against parent payments have also been rejected, with the court stating the authority lies with the government and Knesset, despite judicial criticism of the payments' impact on equality.
Professional bodies, including the legal advisor to the Education Committee and the CEO of the National Council for the Child, have consistently stated that these payments increase gaps between students and schools. The head of the National Parents' Association noted that many students cannot participate in activities due to financial difficulties, widening the gap between those who can afford private tutoring and those who cannot.
