Israeli Finance Ministry Launches Emergency Measures to Address Teacher Shortage Before School Year

With only two weeks remaining until the start of the school year, Israel faces a severe shortage of teachers, with approximately 5,000 vacancies in the public education system alone. In response, the Finance Ministry has introduced a series of emergency initiatives aimed at attracting new personnel into teaching roles.

Starting immediately, elementary and middle school principals will receive official authorization to significantly expand the employment of teachers under personal contracts. These contracts allow hiring candidates without teaching certificates or membership in the teachers' union, enabling them to teach classes. Schools may now employ up to 6% of their teaching staff under such contracts, an increase from previous limits, and these teachers can be hired full-time rather than the former 60% cap. Salaries for these contract teachers will rise by 2,000 shekels monthly, reaching up to 19,500 shekels.

Additionally, principals can grant monthly bonuses of up to 1,000 shekels to teachers who lead educational initiatives or projects, such as creating therapeutic gardens. These bonuses can be awarded to multiple teachers within a school.

These new directives complement other emergency measures, including a dedicated support platform launched by the Local Government Center, which invites citizens able to teach at least eight hours weekly to assist schools amid the crisis. While education officials welcome these tools, they emphasize that these steps come at the last minute, with thousands of teaching positions still unfilled as the school year approaches.