Bnei Brak Municipality Freezes Plan to Change Employment of Educational Assistants

The Bnei Brak municipality announced on Thursday that it has frozen plans to alter the employment framework of educational assistants working in institutions run by networks and associations. This decision follows a report by Kikar HaShabbat that exposed controversy over the possibility of transferring assistants from direct municipal employment to employment through associations.

The municipality emphasized that the safety and well-being of all children, especially those with life-threatening allergies, remain the top priority. According to the municipality, a two-year initiative has been underway to integrate medical supervision and responsibility into the role of permanent educational assistants in kindergartens, aiming to provide a safer and more continuous care model. These assistants are present from early morning and are familiar with the children's routines and food brought from home.

Importantly, the municipality clarified that no changes will affect the employment of dedicated and medical assistants who support students with special needs; they will continue in their current roles without interruption. The proposed change, which was under consideration, involved shifting the employment of assistants in frameworks operated by associations to be directly employed by those associations using Ministry of Education funds, rather than by the municipality.

Due to sensitivities and concerns raised by the municipal workers' union, parents, and staff ahead of the school year, the municipality decided to pause the plan. The goal remains to ensure a safe, professional, and calm start to the academic year while maintaining the necessary support for students. The issue is still under review, but for now, the existing employment arrangements for educational assistants remain unchanged.