Following Adalah’s Intervention, Municipality of Ramle Agrees to Register an Arab Child at a Jewish Kindergarten Located Close to his Home
On 7 September 2008, the Education Section within the Municipality of Ramle informed the parents of an Arab child from Ramle of its agreement to register their child at a Jewish kindergarten located close to their home immediately, after initially refusing to do so. The municipality gave its agreement following a letter sent by Adalah on 3 September 2008 to demand that the child be registered at the kindergarten, in accordance with his parents’ wishes.
The parents of the child approached the educational section within the municipality during the registration period for kindergartens in April 2007, seeking to register him at the kindergarten for the 2008-2009 school year. With the approach of the new school year, they again contacted the municipality to find out at which kindergarten he would be attending, and were told that the kindergarten they had chosen was opposed to registering their son. They then attempted to convince the municipality that it was their right to decide where their child would study. However, the municipality claimed in response that it makes decisions regarding the schools at which children within its jurisdiction study. His parents have stated that their choice stems from fact that conditions in Arab kindergartens are poor and the level of education that they provide is low.
The parents sent a letter to the mayor of Ramle seeking his intervention. In response, however, the mayor, through one of his advisors, stated that the boy could not be registered at a Jewish kindergarten because his is Arab, and only a limited number of Arab children can attend Jewish kindergartens.
In the letter, Adalah Attorney Orna Kohn argued that the municipality’s refusal to register the child at a Jewish kindergarten because he is Arab violates his rights to education, equality and dignity, which are basic rights enumerated in the Basic Law: Human Freedom and Dignity – 1992. The decision also violates the Students’ Rights Law – 2000, which forbids discrimination among students regarding registration and acceptance to any educational establishment. Attorney Kohn emphasized that such discrimination constitutes a criminal offense. Further, Adalah argued that the decision violates his parents’ right to choose an educational framework for their child and constitutes a breach of the municipality’s duty to respect the choices made by parents, as stipulated in the Public Education Law and the Compulsory Education Law – 1949.
