Minister of Education Yoav Kish has announced that the matriculation exam grades in mathematics will be released to students despite the ongoing sanctions by the teachers' organization. This decision comes in response to the directive from the organization's chairman, Ran Erez, which prohibited teachers from reporting protective grades to the Ministry of Education. Kish emphasized that the welfare of the students is paramount and stated, 'I will not let Ran continue to hurt the students. I put an end to the saga that was forced upon us here and now. The scores will be published.'
The sanctions from the teachers' organization included withholding grades, which affected the distribution of shield exam scores. As a result, the Ministry of Education initially decided not to publish the graduation grades to prevent potential manipulation of exam results. However, with Kish's directive, the grades will now be released, enabling students to make informed decisions about whether to take the second term of the matriculation exams.
Haim Bibs, chairman of the local government center, praised the minister's decision, stating, 'I congratulate the Minister of Education, Yoav Kish, who ordered his ministry to publish the high school graduation grades for the students, following the local government's appeal to the High Court. Israeli students, certainly those who are enlisting in the IDF, deserve to know what their graduation results are for their future.'
In recent weeks, the local government has urged Minister Kish to act swiftly to ensure that students receive their grades before the second term of the matriculation exams. They argued that delaying the grades infringes on students' basic rights to education and equality. The Ministry of Education, responsible for the students' education in Israel, was called upon to resolve the issue urgently for the benefit of the students.
The decision to publish the grades follows a ruling by the National Labor Court, which denied the Ministry of Education's request to compel the teachers' organization to release the shield scores. The court criticized the state for its delay in negotiations with the teachers' organization and for the Ministry of Education's decision to withhold the matriculation grades. Despite these challenges, the Ministry has decided to publish the grades to prevent further harm to the students.
- The Ministry of Education's initial refusal to publish the matriculation grades without the shield grades was based on concerns that schools might manipulate the final results. This policy aimed to maintain the integrity of the exams by ensuring that all components of the grading process were accounted for.
- The National Labor Court's ruling highlighted the state's mishandling of negotiations with the teachers' organization and the significant delays in addressing the issue. The court's decision underscored the need for timely and effective communication between the Ministry of Education and the teachers to prevent such conflicts from affecting students.
- Ran Erez, chairman of the teachers' organization, responded to the court's decision by calling on the Minister of Education to publish the grades immediately to avoid further harm to the students. He emphasized the importance of transparency and fairness in the grading process to ensure that students are not disadvantaged by administrative disputes.
