Claims by Finance Minister Yair Lapid that he has spearheaded a major change to reduce overcrowded classrooms have no resemblance to reality, two Israeli business newspapers noted on Sunday.
Lapid said late last week that the budget, which the Cabinet approved but was not passed by the Knesset before it was dissolved, is the “most social budget” ever and incorporates a “national program for reducing overcrowded classrooms.”
The Calcalist and The Marker reported that the itemized Education Ministry budget for 2015 does not make any reference to Lapid’s claim.
The largest increases in the budget are for absorbing the natural growth of the school-age population, extending the school year to include grades 1-4 in the “summer camp in school and providing free pre-nursery school for children ages 3-4.
Reducing the size of classes would cost approximately $250 million, not including the cost of building new classrooms.
According to Lapid’s response to the articles, he is reducing the “size” of classes by adding teachers and student-teachers to existing classes to reduce the teacher-student ratio.