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Chairman of the Secondary School Teachers Association. (Ran Erez) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 15:21 09/12/2007 Olmert says gov't has no desire to 'defeat' striking teachers By Or Kashti, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service Tags: Teachers' strike, Ran Erez Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday said the government has no desire to "defeat" striking teachers and called for the teachers' union to negotiate with the government to bring a resolution to the strike by the end of the Hanukkah holidays. Olmert vowed to personally lead the negotiations if it will help bring a resolution. Sources in the PM's office said that Olmert is interested in seeing a series of concrete steps to bring education reform over the next ten years, including dealing with issues such as class sizes, standardized test scores, and dropout rates. Advertisement Dozens of teachers held a protest Sunday outside the Finance Ministry offices in Jerusalem, and vowed to hold further protests throughout the coming week. The teachers, protesting recently issued back-to-work orders, laid in the street in the front of the office, and blocked the entrances, preventing the arrival of ministry employees to work. Sunday evening, teachers will hold further negotiations with officials from the Education and Finance Ministries, in an effort to bring the 50-day strike to an end. The chairman of the Secondary School Teachers Association (SSTA), Ran Erez, said Saturday he could not prevent teachers from not honoring court-issued back-to-work orders. "I cannot stop humiliated teachers from not going back to work in the schools," he said. Activists said over the weekend that teachers at 47 schools have so far announced they would not return to work on December 13, when the court order takes effect. "The government wants me to be the teacher's jailer," Erez said. "I say to the teachers, everyone must do what their conscience bids them." Erez said that if "40 to 50 percent of the teachers do not return to school, 20 to 30 percent of the students will not go back to school because they are not willing for their teachers to teach under court order. They will be joined by another 10 to 15 percent of the parents who support our fight," adding, "there will be anarchy in the education system." Erez also said that if he did not comply with the order and call the teachers to return to work, he would be breaking the law. "But the teachers are not willing to obey me. They are not breaking the law, but at most have committed a disciplinary infraction for the SSTA, and an administrative infraction for their employer, who will treat their absence as justified." Speaking Saturday on Channel 2's Meet the Press, Finance Minister Roni Bar-On said, "A teacher who does not honor the court order loses the moral right to stand before a class and demand discipline, quiet and attention." Related articles: Teachers' strike expected to continue despite 'progress' in talks Education Minister Yuli Tamir: Striking teachers are 'stuck in the past' Striking teachers, ministries announce progress in negotiations Bookmark to del.icio.us Serious accusation Iran claims that U.S. data on their nuclear program came from spying. No plans to stop The Housing Minister says there's no reason to stop E. J'lem construction.   1.   Teacher`s strike 10:57  |  J 09/12/07   2.   teachers rights 12:24  |  ka 09/12/07   3.   next elections 12:28  |  ka 09/12/07   4.   Big Money versus Cultural Impoverishment 14:36  |  Albert Edelson 09/12/07   5.   Of course. Olmert cannot defeat an ant!!! He would loose 14:50  |  Alain 09/12/07

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