Adalah to Education Ministry: Extend the School Year for Arab Special Education Students Too
On 17 May 2012, Adalah sent a letter the Director-General of Ministry of Education (MOE), Dalit Stauber, urging her to extend the current school year and activities of the Arab special education system, so that they do not have five school days less than Jewish students. Director Stauber recently released a statement explaining that the special education summer program in 2012 will be shortened by five days to accommodate an earlier school year start day. The MOE issued internal regulations calling for additional days during the year for Jewish schools, but did not specify additional days for Arab schools - meaning that according to Ministry regulations, the additional days will not be funded.
The MOE decided in 2011 to begin the upcoming school year of 2012-2013 on 27 August 2012 rather than on 3 September 2012, and to end special education programs on 10 August instead of on 15 August, five days early. To make up for the shortened program time, the Ministry issued internal regulations that five days of school would be added to the Jewish special education system calendar during Jewish holidays between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, and on Hanukkah and Passover. However, additional days for Arab schools were not specified or included, nor was funding set for them, meaning that the Arab special education system will not get funding for those additional days.
In the letter, Adalah Attorney Sawsan Zaher pointed out the lapse, and that it implies that these days will not be funded. Therefore, the five days’ cost will be imposed on the Arab children’s parents themselves. Children enrolled in the Arab school system whose families cannot afford the activities will be forced to stay home, unable to enjoy and benefit from the educational activities promised by the MOE.
Attorney Zaher noted that providing unequal funding for the Jewish and Arab special education systems violates the law, which requires that funding be distributed equally. “Applying this regulation only to the Hebrew special education system discriminates on the basis of nationality and is a violation of equality," said Zaher. She added that not applying the regulation equally on the Arab special education system affects the education of children with disabilities, in breach of the Special Education Law.
Adalah urged the Director of the MOE to set additional days for Arab special education now, before the end of the current program, so that schools and parents of students in special education are fully prepared to support their activities.
The MOE decided in 2011 to begin the upcoming school year of 2012-2013 on 27 August 2012 rather than on 3 September 2012, and to end special education programs on 10 August instead of on 15 August, five days early. To make up for the shortened program time, the Ministry issued internal regulations that five days of school would be added to the Jewish special education system calendar during Jewish holidays between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, and on Hanukkah and Passover. However, additional days for Arab schools were not specified or included, nor was funding set for them, meaning that the Arab special education system will not get funding for those additional days.
In the letter, Adalah Attorney Sawsan Zaher pointed out the lapse, and that it implies that these days will not be funded. Therefore, the five days’ cost will be imposed on the Arab children’s parents themselves. Children enrolled in the Arab school system whose families cannot afford the activities will be forced to stay home, unable to enjoy and benefit from the educational activities promised by the MOE.
Attorney Zaher noted that providing unequal funding for the Jewish and Arab special education systems violates the law, which requires that funding be distributed equally. “Applying this regulation only to the Hebrew special education system discriminates on the basis of nationality and is a violation of equality," said Zaher. She added that not applying the regulation equally on the Arab special education system affects the education of children with disabilities, in breach of the Special Education Law.
Adalah urged the Director of the MOE to set additional days for Arab special education now, before the end of the current program, so that schools and parents of students in special education are fully prepared to support their activities.
