Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., December 13, 2007 Tevet 4, 5768 | | Israel Time: 21:56 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File Hanukkah

Ran Erez, head of the union of secondary school teachers. (Tomer Appelbaum) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 18:36 13/12/2007 Olmert vows to reduce class sizes in major education reform By Or Kashti, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Teachers' strike, education  Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Thursday that the major funds will be added to the education system to implement a reform that will lower class sizes and restore lost teaching hours. "The education system will be awarded large budgetary additions and will simultaneously undergo a thorough reform," Olmert said on the day that the government signed a deal ending a 55-day teachers' strike. The prime minister added that he intends to "lead a reform process with an binding timetable, through talks and without compromising the major and immediate need to bring about a real change in education in Israel." Advertisement Olmert also said that within 45 days, he intends to bring before the government a plan to "reduce the number of students in classes and bring back teaching hours to the education system. The multi-year plan that will be approved by the government will determine that the number of students in each class will be 32, throughout the education system in Israel ? elementary and secondary. This multi-year plan will be formulated with the cooperation of representative organizations and it will have the validity of a binding government commitment." "The parents, students and teachers deserve a better education system," Olmert said. Teachers' union head: We have achieved the goals of the strike The chairman of the Secondary School Teachers Association Ran Erez on Thursday said "we have achieved the reform we wanted for secondary school education and all the goals of our struggle." Erez listed the achievements of the agreement reached with the Finance Ministry and the Education Ministry as the reduction of the number of students per class, the restoration of school hours previously cut, wage increases and pay for the 55 strike days, as well as "a long line of work conditions that we didn't make public." Erez added that on some of the issues, the teachers received a government pledge, which was "very important." In contrast to Erez' optimism, a Jerusalem strike activist and teacher said Thursday that the signed agreement was without teeth. "There is no big news here," he said anonymously, "It angers me that this is the outcome after two months of struggle. [The deal includes] two wage offers already received by the teachers, and rejected. We will study the deal's details and see how we can continue to fight for the things that are important to us." Earlier Thursday, after 20 hours of marathon negotiations, government officials and teachers' representatives reached an agreement mere hours before court-issued back-to-work orders were to go into effect. According to a joint statement issued by the Secondary School Teachers' Association (SSTA), the Finance Ministry and Education Ministry "the government and the organization have reached substantial agreements that enable the renewal of studies out of mutual understanding and without back-to-work orders." The statement added that teams from both sides were to finalize the wording of the agreement within hours. Erez, Finance Minister Roni Bar-On and Education Minister Yuli Tamir held intensive negotiations since Wednesday afternoon in a bid to reach a deal after an attempt to bridge the gaps between the sides collapsed late Tuesday night, just after it seemed a breakthrough was finally within reach. According to the agreement reached Thursday, the teachers will receive an 8.5 percent wage increase in exchange for two weekly hours of private tutoring. In addition, the teachers will receive another 5 percent wage increase, in accordance with a Histadrut labor federation agreement, over the course of three years. In addition, a 4 percent salary increase to prevent the erosion of teachers' wages will be pushed up. It was also agreed that the number of students in every classroom will be reduced. In addition, the two sides will conduct talks regarding major reform in the education system. Should the sides reach an agreement within six months, the teachers could receive a 26 percent pay rise, according to Eini, which will include the increases already agreed upon. Related articles: Talks to end strike break down at 11th hour Proposed pact with teachers would cost NIS 5.5 billion Court issues back-to-work orders to striking high school teachers An open letter to the people at the rally Bookmark to del.icio.us Bored with Israel A study shows U.S. Jews don't feel it's important to care about the Holy Land. League of their own The PA's first unit of policewomen direct traffic in the West Bank.   1.   Teachers holding our children`s future to ransom 09:49  |  Big Al 13/12/07   2.   Teacher`s salaries barely enough to live on 11:35  |  grateful dawg 13/12/07   3.   big al 11:57  |  john 13/12/07   4.   Missing word(s) 12:59  |  Shlomo 13/12/07   5.   Unions and Democracy 13:40  |  Ethan 13/12/07   6.   The Israeli "Government" 14:49  |  Michael 13/12/07   7.   To # 1 - big al 17:35  |  Robert 13/12/07   8.   RAN EREZ TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHY 17:42  |  Robert 13/12/07   9.   Gutless teachers. By going back to work they 19:03  |  L A 13/12/07   10.   A Deoressed New Teacher 20:23  |  L 13/12/07   11.   SO OLMERT SAID THAT HE WOULD 21:02  |  Robert 13/12/07

Today Online Document reveals progress on core issues at Camp David Responses: 205 Rosner: U.S. report on Iran should have been tossed, not published Responses: 64 Red Cross: Israel worsening Palestinian humanitarian crisis Responses: 78 Russia: Deal reached with Iran on nuclear plant construction Responses: 40 Avineri: U.S. only effective on Mideast conflict in war or talks Responses: 43 Rosner's Domain Who believes in intelligence reports? American Jews are losing interest in Israel Guest: Redivision of Jerusalem will lead to terrible bloodshed 3 'close' Orthodox for every 'close' Reform (What To Read) More Headlines 21:43 IAF strike kills three Palestinians in Gaza City 21:46 U.S. ambassador to UN calls Iran report a 'goal against ourselves' 20:43 Sderot mayor Eli Moyal rescinds resignation at Barak's request 20:05 Druze MK probed for contacts with foreign agent 19:09 Greek historian convicted over book denying the Holocaust 17:07 Red Cross: Israel worsening Palestinian humanitarian crisis 18:36 Olmert vows to reduce class sizes in major education reform 18:17 Police arrest four suspected of attempting to smuggle ecstasy 21:10 Document shows progress on core issues at Camp David summit Previous Editions Select Day 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec 09 dec 07 dec 06 dec 05 dec 04 dec 03 dec 02 dec 30 nov 29 nov

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