600 Kindergarten Assistants to Train as Teachers with 6,000 Shekel Scholarships

This year, 600 kindergarten assistants across Israel will participate in an academic program to earn teaching degrees, each receiving a scholarship of 6,000 shekels per academic year, with some receiving additional financial aid. The program, called "Ophak BeTnuah" and run by the Center for Local Government, aims to advance assistants into kindergarten teacher and educational management roles. Since its launch in 2022, around 40 women have completed the program, and in the 2023-2024 school year, about 50 municipalities including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Rishon LeZion, Ashdod, Kfar Saba, Afula, Carmiel, Rosh HaAyin, Eilat, Karnei Shomron, and Ramla will operate it.

Funded primarily by Mifal HaPais with a budget of 3.6 million shekels for scholarships this year, the program combines work and study toward a B.Ed in early childhood education and a teaching certificate. Participants without a matriculation certificate complete a preparatory year. Ilanit Dahan Gadesh, head of the Municipal Studies Administration, highlighted the comprehensive academic and mental support provided, including local coordinators, noting a 95% completion rate in the pilot phase. Chairman of the Center for Local Government, Haim Bibas, emphasized the program's focus on developing existing kindergarten assistants into professional teachers, leveraging their experience and familiarity with children and educational teams rather than seeking external solutions to teacher shortages.