BS:Christian Persecution? School funding in Israel

Subject: RE: BS:Israel Education Ministry funds private schools
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 May 15 - 01:25 PM

Let's have a quote from the article in question:

Under a longstanding arrangement, Christian schools and other private schools that manage their own affairs receive only partial government funding, with the remainder of their budgets covered by either donations or tuition. The government funds cover roughly three-quarters of private schools' standard costs, but it has been cutting back on other supplementary funding.

The protesting Christian schools say this public funding has been systematically cut in recent years to their elementary schools. To compensate, schools raised tuition fees — a burden for the Arab community whose average income is generally lower than the national average....

The Christian schools' fight reflects a wider battle being waged by other private schools — which have the status of being "recognized but unofficial." According to the Education Ministry, there are a total of 277 elementary schools with this status. Christian administrators say their 47 church-run elementary schools are affected by the budget crisis.

These schools are all facing the same budget cuts that the Christian private schools are, said Amnon De Hartog, a lawyer representing one of 23 private schools — mostly Jewish religious schools — that are petitioning Israel's Supreme Court against the recent budget cuts.

They say the cuts are unfair because Israel fully funds two large ultra-Orthodox Jewish private school networks — preferential treatment enshrined into law years ago thanks to the great influence of ultra-Orthodox political parties.

Advocates for the Arab community in Israel say the situation of church-run schools is different from other private schools. Some 30,000 Arab students — about half of them Muslim and half of them Christian — study in about 50 church-run schools in the country. Many of the schools have operated for centuries.

"It's a major part of the Arabic education system," said Sawsan Zaher of Adalah, a legal center for Arab minority rights in Israel. "When you see they are not fully funded while religious ultra-Orthodox schools are fully funded, of course you have discrimination, even if you have the law that enables that."

So, there are 50 church-run schools funded by tax dollars in Israel. The educate some 30,000 students, half of them Muslim and half Christian. They have a reputation for academic excellence. They are facing funding cuts, as are some private Jewish schools.

Because of the unusual power the ultra-Orthodox hold in Israel, the ultra-Orthodox schools have not faced similar cuts.

So, Greg F., what do you have to say about all this?

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS:Israel Education Ministry funds private schools
From: GUEST
Date: 28 May 15 - 01:18 PM

What do you think about this Greg F?

"Brunei Teachers to Face Punishment, Prison for Exposing Muslim Children to Christianity Even in Christian Schools"

CP

Subject: RE: BS: More Christian Persecution
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 May 15 - 01:11 PM

So, Greg F, what did you want to say about the subject? Or, in an attempt to start a fight, did you just post a provocative title and a link to something that doesn't mean a whole lot?
In some countries, taxpayers pay for the education of all their children, whether they go to church schools or government schools or whatever. The important thing is that the kids get educated. Ideology shouldn't enter into the equation.
I have expanded the thread title to something more truthful and less provocative.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: More Christian Persecution
From: GUEST
Date: 28 May 15 - 12:19 PM

So in Israel Christian schools are funded by Israeli taxpayers. Can you tell us how many Christian schools in other middle East Muslim countries are funded by their taxpayers?

Subject: RE: BS: More Christian Persecution
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 28 May 15 - 09:00 AM

"no beheadings"
Ah well - as long as they keep their persecution within reason
Can't help that one of the newly elected Israeli ministers has declared that Israel was "bequeathed by God to the Jewish people"
That should calm things down a bit!!
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: More Christian Persecution
From: akenaton
Date: 28 May 15 - 08:45 AM

Why no beheadings?

Subject: BS: More Christian Persecution
From: Greg F.
Date: 28 May 15 - 08:36 AM

Story Here