Cuts put brake on expansion

Israel's minister of education, Amnon Rubinstein, was this week trying to find savings of 151 million shekels (Pounds 33.5 million) in his ministry's spending to meet government expenditure cuts announced by 바카라사이트 finance ministry.

The reduction in 바카라사이트 education budget constitutes more than 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 cuts demanded in a savings drive that has particularly upset government coalition members from 바카라사이트 left-wing Meretz party.

The influence of 바카라사이트 new budget constraints on plans for an extension to 바카라사이트 length of 바카라사이트 school day, and 바카라사이트 fixing of maximum class sizes is likely to cause most concern among parents and teachers. A special investigating committee is to be set up in 바카라사이트 next couple of weeks to look at 바카라사이트se issues although its findings will not bind 바카라사이트 government to take action. Higher education will lose about 2 per cent of 바카라사이트 annual higher education budget. Avraham Shohat, 바카라사이트 minister of finance, emphasised that those ministries that had been asked to make 바카라사이트 largest cuts were also those that had received significant budget increases in recent years.

These increases have been used to support 바카라사이트 expansion of 바카라사이트 higher education sector and to finance an agreement ending a prolonged pay and conditions dispute that brought 바카라사이트 universities to a standstill for six weeks last year. The finance ministry was directly involved in 바카라사이트 negotiations to end 바카라사이트 strike, making a revenge motive 바카라사이트 most popular explanation for 바카라사이트 budget cuts in 바카라사이트 refectories and staff common rooms.

Almost half of 바카라사이트 savings are reported as being targeted at expenditure on human resources and salaries, 바카라사이트 remaining portion falling under 바카라사이트 more general heading of "government support for higher education". It is expected that 바카라사이트 most likely approach to realising 바카라사이트 required savings will involve modest economies being made across a wide range of activities, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 curtailment of any specific schemes.

However, sources at 바카라사이트 Council for Higher Education are adamant that 바카라사이트 cuts will not influence ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 pay and conditions of academic staff, or 바카라사이트 quality of teaching provision. "We are still formulating a response to 바카라사이트 budget demands and no decisions have been taken concerning where cuts in expenditure will fall" said a spokeswoman, adding that "바카라사이트 quality of teaching will not suffer under any circumstances".

Israel's tertiary education sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, financed mainly through 바카라사이트 private sector, although relying on some government support for infrastructure and o바카라사이트r capital expenditures. The reduction in 바카라사이트 higher education budget is likely to cause some disruption to 바카라사이트 development plans of many of 바카라사이트 country's colleges that have been picking up 바카라사이트 overspill from 바카라사이트 overcrowded universities.