Chaos befalls Israeli education: the Education Ministry, Teachers Union, and even the parental committees in 80 communities throughout Israel have made it abundantly clear that classes will continue Sunday as usual in elementary and middle schools.
Yossi Wasserman, the chair of the Teachers' Union called on the National Parents' Organization Saturday to allow the school week to open as scheduled.
Still, the National Parents Organization (NPO) insists on following through on its Thursday announcement and implementing and overall strike in all educational institutions.
Should the NPO's strike materialize, it is expected to include the entire educational establishment, grades one to 12.
"Ultimately, the parents will be the ones deciding whether or not to send their children to school tomorrow," Anat Knafo, the spokesperson for the National Parents Organization, told Ynet.
The NPO's decision has attracted harsh criticism from the Education Ministry, the Teachers Union, and even the parental committees of dozens of communities.
Elementary school teachers will be waiting for their students in the classrooms, as usual, said Wasserman: "The Teachers' Union has decided not to join the strike… we believe it is an unnecessary strike that causes irreversible damage to the educational system."
'Strike has no validity'
Education Minister Yuli Tamir told Ynet Friday that "from the Education Ministry's perspective, the parents' shutdown has no validity… we will continue working; teachers will come to class and conduct lessons."
According to Tamir, her ministry "treats the National Parents Organization as an unrepresentative body and therefore we do not know how many absences to expect on Sunday."
Meanwhile, the Middle and High School Teachers' Association's strike is expected to reach the breaking point on Sunday, as the National Labor Court is expected to grant the government's motion to issue comprehensive injunctions against the striking teachers, effectively ending the strike.
Should an injunction be given, all 3,000 members of the Middle and High School Teachers' Association have threatened to turn in their resignations.
The association also plans to petition the High Court, requesting the injunction be crushed.
"Issuing an injection won't make the problem go away," said Association Chairman Ran Erez Saturday.
"Eleven and 12th graders don't need a babysitter, the need education," he added, promising the protests will continue regardless of any injunction.
First published: 18:06, 12.01.7