Full Breakdown
Funding Dispute Over Haredi Schools in Israel
9/8/2026, 4:55:59 AM
Legal Background and Court Proceedings
The High Court of Justice became involved after a petition filed by the religious-freedom advocacy group Hiddush challenged the funding model for party-affiliated ultra-Orthodox (haredi) schools. The court first sought additional information following a hearing on January 5, when the state had not submitted a preliminary response. On January 8, Justices Dafna Barak-Erez, David Mintz and Ruth Ronnen ordered the Education Ministry to provide existing data on curriculum requirements, compliance calculations, teacher qualifications and supervision practices. After a supplemental filing, the court issued a conditional order on February 17, requiring the government to justify why funding should not be tied to full core-curriculum delivery, qualified teachers and participation in external exams, and why schools failing these standards should not be removed from the funding networks.
Positions of the Parties
Education Minister Yoav Kisch argues that the proportional-funding system, which adjusts allocations based on the percentage of core subjects taught, has encouraged schools to expand their curricula. He warns that an “all-or-nothing” rule could push schools out of state oversight and into frameworks with fewer requirements. Kisch also notes that previous attorneys-general and court rulings accepted proportional funding.
Attorney-General Gali Baharav Miara maintains that the current arrangement was intended as a temporary measure and lacks a permanent legal basis for funding schools that do not meet full curriculum obligations.
Hiddush, represented by deputy director Dr. Yifat Solel, contends that the networks should receive full funding only if they teach the complete core curriculum—including mathematics, English and science—and that the ministry’s supervision has not provided an accurate picture of actual teaching.
Data on Curriculum Coverage
In a filing, the Education Ministry reported that 498 of the networks’ 517 schools taught between 96 % and 100 % of the required core curriculum during the 2025-26 school year, with 476 schools assessed as delivering the full program. The attorney-general’s response disputes these figures, arguing that the ministry’s calculation method can mask subject-specific gaps. The ministry’s data also show teacher-qualification rates ranging from 4.6 % for middle-school science teachers to 24.5 % for general elementary teachers. Kisch acknowledged a shortage of trained teachers but said similar shortages exist in state schools and highlighted a multiyear training program aimed at improvement. The ministry reported that removal notices were sent to 22 schools, and two schools from the Independent Education Center were transferred out of the network.
Future Outlook
Attorney-General Miara has proposed a transition in which a school that fails to teach the full curriculum in the 2026-27 year could continue receiving reduced funding only if it commits to full compliance the following year; refusal would lead to removal from the network. Kisch cautioned that the court should exercise restraint given the approaching election and the politically sensitive nature of haredi education funding. Hiddush rejected the proposal, accusing Kisch of seeking to preserve public funding without ensuring that schools provide the education for which the money is allocated.
