Parents and teachers union clash over limits on special-needs inclusion in classrooms

Israel’s National Parents Leadership on Friday demanded that the Education Ministry reject the Teachers Union’s ultimatum to limit the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream classes. The dispute comes amid teachers’ threats of a strike over a shortage of staffing positions, while parents say the demand is discriminatory and dangerous.

In a letter to the Education Ministry director general, the parents’ group said it views the Teachers Union’s move with grave concern. It called the demand “improper, discriminatory and dangerous,” arguing that a school system committed to equality, inclusion and acceptance of others cannot accept such a message. The group said the union should be fighting for more positions instead of putting the spotlight on children.

Parents leader Oren Ozen said the state’s role is to give teachers the tools needed for successful integration, not to push children out of classrooms. His deputy, Tzofit Golan, said union chief Yaffa Ben-David’s message was “outrageous, dangerous and unacceptable,” adding that anyone lacking budget should fight for resources, not for removing children.

The Teachers Union rejected the criticism. Anat Dadon, head of its early childhood division, said on Thursday night that the current version of the inclusion law is “a curse for generations.” She said the principle is correct but the implementation is flawed, noting that classes have 5 to 7 pupils entitled to personal support packages, with too few support hours and professionals. She said the original agreement capped the number at two children per class, but in practice there are two or three times that many. Dadon said kindergarten teachers and teachers are not the problem, and that the real failure is a policy approved without the staffing and resources to back it up.