In my years as a teacher I've seen these girls in action. Most of them are not qualified enough to be of any use in the classroom. When they do work with students in small groups they tend to proselytize. I think our schools are better off without them. If they are too good to serve in the army maybe they should do something useful like clean the streets.

It's time for religious girls to boycott national service. Kadima has made it clear they do not want them to serve so of course their will be no complaint of draft dodging. Of course when the right wins the next election then they can cut all funding to Kibbutzim and the Arab sector and use that to promote religious zionism

We all know how influential teachers can be on a child's future.

No, they want them to serve...but where they should: in the IDF!

What is this strange outpouring of hatred against national service volunteers? what is wrong with you people? Don't you know that these young men (yes there are men who perform National Service) and women are performing positive works on a voluntary basis? In order to become eligible for National Service a young person must frist be released from the IDF but DO REMEMBER once they are released from the IDF they don't owe anyone anything! They receive full releases that it! That these young people choose to perform National Service is admirable and is in fact equal to service in the IDF! So please do stop with your venemous foul hatred!

That would have explained a partial budget cut, but Yuli Tamir seems to have placed national service as a non-priority. With Tamir's political views clear, particularly towards the religious girls in national service (they don't fit her political world view - apparently only Peace Now does), raising the concern that the cut was made for political reasons, with the total cut being done merely to make it look politically correct, is quite legitimate.

A very dangerous woman.She is not interested in a Jewish state.

I do not hate these girls, but I don't think they belong in schools. They come into the class with their own agenda. Secondly, I'm a parent of 3 children. All of my children have done a voluntary shnat sherut in addition to their army service and Kevah. If they want to serve their country, let them join the army.

Prof. Tamir was probably good at her job in the university. Otherwise, why did Ehud Barak pick her out of there ? As Education Minister she is no good, obviously so.

Her great sympathy goes , no doubt, to Palestinians. Has anyone heard from her any words of empathy toward Israeli citizens in Sderot who have been hurt by dammned quassams ?

I have 2 children in special education (with autism spectrum disorders) and without the national service volunteers, they would not get the attention and help they need. The system relies on the volunteers and will collapse without them. I'm so worried that I will be contacting ALUT (the Israeli society for Autistic children) about this.

Most National Religious/Modern Orthodox girls "choose" not to perform mandatory IDF service - by signing a form stating that they are religious and therefore exempt from such service - and not as stated in the article. ("unable to perform...") Joel Katz http://religionandstateinisrael.blogspot.com/