Some parents are still paying for English classes despite ministerial ban

Months after the government imposed a ban on private funding for advanced English classes in public schools, parents and teachers say money is still changing hands. "The ministry failed to offer an alternative solution," one paying parent said.

The ban was imposed in September, after the Education Ministry threatened to shelve altogether advanced English classes (referred to in Hebrew as "Dovrei Anglit," which means English speakers) because of funding from non-ministerial sources, which the ministry called "improper."

Following protests by parents and teachers, the ministry decided to keep the program alive by allocating 500 weekly teaching hours for its operation, while banning private funding, which usually comes directly from parents or parent-funded non-profits that also accept donations.

Michal Tzadoki, a spokesperson for the ministry, told Anglo File this week that the ministry was not aware of public schools which charge for advanced English classes during school hours since adding the 500 hours of class time. "This would be a violation of ministry regulations and of the compulsory education law," she said. "Such cases need to be reported to the ministry and will be dealt with accordingly."

The ministry has said it cannot allow for "gray funding" in its institutions, as this would "compromise the principle of equality." But a senior ministry professional in the English studies field, who spoke to Anglo File on condition of anonymity, nonetheless said parents were still paying in certain communities. "The 500 hours solved some of the problem in places like Ra'anana and Modi'in, where there are large communities of native English-speakers," the source said. "But not in places with medium-sized communities like Zichron Yaakov or Hod Hasharon."

The ministry professional explained that because schools in towns with medium-sized Anglo populations had fewer advanced-English students, they were entitled to fewer hours. Parents and teachers from two such towns say their schools' allotment is too meager, leaving the gap for parents who want level-appropriate English classes to be filled by private funding.

Rachel Berman, who immigrated to Israel 11 years ago from New Jersey, is an advanced English learners' teacher at Zichron Yaakov's Yavetz elementary school. "Our school was promised three weekly hours for advanced English student classes. She said that in reality, because the school had over 20 English speakers at different levels, requiring 17 teacher-hours of classes. Noting that the school has not yet received the three hours' funding, Berman says parents at Yavetz pay privately for advanced English classes. "Without charging parents we would have no way of teaching," she explains.

Berman's son attends a school in Netanya which does not offer advanced English classes. "You have to be extremely self-motivated to study independently," she says. "I can see his skills in English have atrophied." She adds: "What do you think will happen when you put eight bored native English-speakers in a regular English class? Everyone suffers."

The number of pupils with native language skills in English is estimated over 10,000. Hod Hasharon alone has about 800 advanced English learners, according to Lisa Segelov, an attorney and parent from Hod Hasharon. "That means that the entire national allotment would scarcely cover a few cities," she adds.

Costs to parents for advanced English programming in places like Hod Hasharon add up to hundreds of Shekels per month, according to Australian-born Segelov, who in 2007 helped coordinate the fight to keep the local advanced English program running. Three of Segelov's four children, aged 12, 11 and 8, attend the local branch of the nationwide Tali network of public schools, which provides a pluralistic, Jewish education for secular pupils, and is a favorite among English-speakers. She says she pays NIS 525 monthly to send all three to advanced English classes.

Immigrants from English-speaking countries make up an estimated one-fifth of Zichron Yaakov's population of nearly 20,000 people. As in other towns across Israel, the municipality there subsidizes some of the advanced English pupils' classes.

"I don't see why municipalities need to foot the bill," says Israeli-born Naama Mizrachi from Zichron, whose children - who spent part of their childhoods in California - attend advanced English classes. She added: "I understand the Education Ministry has a limited budget. But this is also an immigration issue. Let the Absorption Ministry pitch in. The situation right now is ridiculous."

Parents and teachers alike say they are apprehensive about drawing too much attention to the problem lest the ministry resume plans to freeze the advanced English program. "I don't think the program will be terminated," the ministry source said. "The question now is how many teaching hours it will receive."

Asked about the risk of financial inequality within the public school system, parents and teachers say they understand the ministry's concern, but add that English-speaking communities tend to have a "leave-no-pupil-behind" mentality.

South Africa-born Sharon Peerutin from Hod Hasharon, whose children attend the local Tali school and who is on the school's parent committee, says that several parents of children with native-speaker levels in English cannot afford the fee. "The other parents chip in to pay. No pupil with a native-speaker level in English is left out," Peerutin says. Parents from the Tali school have set up a non-profit organization which, among other causes, helps fund the advanced program fees.

"There are some parents, including single moms, who can't afford the heavy fees and other parents chip in to help them," says Mizrachi from Zichron. "But really the one paying should be the State of Israel, because this is no enrichment program or after-hour activity. These are not piano lessons. For these kids, this is basic education."