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Shas reveals plans for higher education Knesset caucus
By Jonathan Lis and Ofri Ilani

Shas has announced that it will be establishing a caucus in the Knesset in support of higher education in Israel - even though many of Shas' members have themselves forgone academic degrees in favor of continued Torah study.

Shas party chairman, Interior Minister Eli Yishai, established the caucus after meeting with Dr. Anat Feldman of the Ahva Academic College, who has been conducting research on Shas.
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Feldman told the Shas lawmakers about the difficulties higher education faces in Israel, especially for younger faculty. Among other things, she raised the issue of colleges and universities that fire junior lecturers every year at the end of the academic year and rehire them at the beginning of the following one.

Feldman and other lecturers also met with the chairman of the Shas Knesset faction, MK Avraham Michaeli, who told them, "It does not seem reasonable for a lecturer to be fired at the end of every academic year. This damages the lecturer's commitment to teaching, economically and especially the relationship with students."

Michaeli, who is an attorney and a graduate of Bar-Ilan University, said he believes Shas' work for higher education does not clash with the fact that its members devote themselves to Torah studies.

"Those who can devote all their time to Torah studies - there's nothing greater. Our assistance is for the entire public and for the Haredi public that cannot devote all its time to Torah study and wants to study academic subjects. This is a top-priority social step," Michaeli said.

Michaeli said the first task of the caucus would be to organize a conference of all the heads of the colleges and universities to lead to joint action.

He intends to have the first discussion in the Knesset Science Committee. Michaeli discovered that MK Zeev Elkin (Likud) intends to establish a similar caucus devoted to universities and has begun working toward uniting the two groups.

A number of Knesset caucuses have operated in the past to support academia. The first one was established at the beginning of the decade to stop the Finance Ministry from interfering in universities' activities. The caucus in support of academia has traditionally drawn lawmakers who come from the academia or others from across the political board who felt a commitment to the universities.

In past Knessets, the caucuses were headed by former Knesset members Avraham Shochat (Labor), Ilan Shalgi (Shinui) and Menahem Ben-Sasson, currently president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

In the last Knesset, during the conflict between the universities and the Finance Ministry over funding, MKs from the caucus attempted to force the government to restore slashed budgets to the universities.

At the height of the struggle the caucus managed to get the preliminary reading of a bill passed requiring the transfer of NIS 1.8 billion to the university budgets. The law did not pass, but it reportedly served as a pressure point.

The higher education system reportedly does not currently attach a great deal of importance to the activities of the caucuses, but says an active caucus can support the universities' struggles.

In contrast to previous years, the higher education academic year, which is to open on Sunday, is not expected to begin with threats of strikes or serious issues coming between the Finance Ministry and the higher education system.
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