The Petah Tikva municipality announced Sunday that it will not fund any private schools that fail to absorb Ethiopian immigrants. Petah Tikva Mayor Itzhak Ohayon announced these measures following last week’s report about four Ethiopian students who were segregated in a separate classroom at a local
elementary school.
Over 800 Ethiopian students are currently enrolled in Petah Tikva schools. Three of the city’s private schools receive municipal funding. Ohayon stated that the funds in question do not come from the Ministry of Education, but rather directly from the Petah Tikva municipality.
“I informed these institutions that should they fail to absorb and fully integrate Ethiopian students into their schools, they will no longer receive municipal funding,” Ohayon said.
Ohayon further noted that “It is unthinkable that our private schools not absorb and integrate Ethiopian immigrants into their classrooms as do all other public institutions in the city. What happened at Lamerchav School is a dreadful and abhorrent occurrence that deeply hurt the students in question and must never recur.”
Mayor: Chief Rabbinate is mistaken'
Ohayon also spoke out against the City Rabbinate’s directive that Ethiopian immigrants undergo a more stringent conversion and be placed in government-sponsored religious schools.
“We have four government-sponsored religious schools in the city as well as 13 public schools, said Ohayon, “but because of the Rabbinate’s directive Ethiopian immigrants cannot be placed in public schools and this causes a strain on the religious school sytem.”
Furthermore, a directorial panel will also be established in Petah Tikva to aid Ethiopian immigrants living in the city. This panel will be made up of veteran Ethiopian immigrants rather than just government officials. “This panel will formulate a plan to help Ethiopian newcomers successfully integrate into all city systems and institution,” said Ohayon.
Government: $11.5 million a year to Ethiopian immigrants
Meanwhile the Welfare and Absorption Ministries have drafted a proposal that would see the State allocate over $11.5 million a year to Ethiopian communities. The funds would be used to provide special coaching for families and individually-tailored programs for teenagers and the elderly.
The new initiative will focus on 15 neighborhoods throughout the country with a population of at least 450 families of Ethiopian origin.
According to Welfare Ministry statistics, there are currently over 17,000 Ethiopian immigrant families who are receiving government aid. Half of the 70,000 individuals those families are composed of are minors.
Ethiopian immigrants constitute 3.5% of all Israelis being aided by the Welfare Ministry.