Teachers, Education Ministry resume talks on COVID rules amid threat of strike

Court injunction blocking teacher’s strike good through Sunday; union is opposed to regulations nixing isolation for students exposed to virus

By ToI Staff 29 January 2022, 6:46 pmUpdated: 30 January 2022, 2:00 am

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Yaffa Ben David, head of Israel's Teacher's Union in Jerusalem, on March 15, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Representatives of the Israel Teachers Union and Education Ministry resumed negotiations on Saturday night over coronavirus regulations at schools, after a court injunction blocked a planned teacher’s strike in protest of new rules.

The union has expressed anger over regulations that nix isolation for students exposed to COVID-19, while increasing regular testing in classes. The plan is supposed to keep children at schools, maintain a routine for them and prevent the disruption of their parents’ workdays. But some teachers are concerned their safety could be compromised by the arrangement.

Union chief Yaffa Ben David’s Wednesday announcement plunged hundreds of thousands of parents into uncertainty, but the Tel Aviv Labor Court blocked the strike through Sunday at least. But a strike could begin Monday if the sides don’t reach an agreement.

There is also uncertainty over shortages of teaching staff in many areas due to many being in quarantine, according to Hebrew-language media reports.

Ben David ended her meeting late Saturday night with the directors of the education and health ministries. Negotiations were set to continue on Sunday at 11 a.m.

In an interview with Kan news, Ben David noted that quarantine wasn’t being scrapped for adults outside schools, showing that it wasn’t a decision based on science: “They are leaving teachers exposed.”

Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton visits students at the Ramon School in Modi’in, on October 12, 2021. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Hitting back, Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton said Ben David “is shattering the fragile routine of children and parents and harming them. She knew about the plan, which was accepted by many experts, for a week, and agreed to it. Her conduct does not reflect the dedication of the teachers on the ground.”

Only about 50 percent of students showed up to school Thursday, the Ynet news site reported. According to sources cited by Ynet, the absences were chalked up to parents worried about their kids’ health, kindergartens closed due to manpower shortages, and kids who are sick.

According to Health Ministry data published Friday, over 180,000 schoolkids and nearly 25,000 teaching staff are quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19. Another 4,500 staff are self-isolating after being exposed.