The reviews began, the number of kollel students shrank

Tightening supervision of yeshivas led within two months to a drop of 6.5% in the number of registered students. Rabbi Uri Regev: The increase in oversight reviews initiated by the finance and education ministries is sacred work

03/03/2011 11:48

Tags: yeshiva · Hiddush · kollel

Birkat Mordechai Yeshiva in Beitar Illit. 24.082009. Photo: Nati Shohat, Flash 90

Ever since the oversight of yeshivas and kollels was tightened and greater care taken to ensure they meet conditions for receiving state funding, the number of yeshiva students plummeted an unprecedented 6.5% from the number that appears in the Education Ministry’s records. Kobi Nachshoni reports on ynet that between December 2010 and February 2011 the enrollment list for yeshivas and kollels shrank by some 8,500 students.

In recent years there has been a steady increase in the number of students at Torah institutions that receive state budgets. This trend was halted for a while only during the second Sharon government. But even then the trend was not reversed. The change is only taking place now. Last December there were some 130,000 yeshiva students registered at the Education Ministry, and today their number has dropped to 121,000.

Much of the decline in the number of students is due to the fact that many institutions deleted from the rolls students who are not present on a regular basis, for fear that these

The fear of the oversight reviews led to the ‘deletion’ of thousands of students

would cause the entire institution to be disqualified. Some of the institutions waived budgetary support because of the stricter conditions, and there were several that were disqualified in the recent reviews.

Professionals estimate that the decline in the number of yeshiva students will bring budget savings of between NIS 50-70 million a year. The association of yeshiva directors told ynet that institutions are excising from their lists of kollel students any young men who they fear would not be present at review time.

The head of Hiddush, Rabbi Uri Regev, said in response: “The fear of the oversight reviews led to the ‘deletion’ of thousands of students and to savings of tens of millions of shekels for the state. The increase in oversight reviews initiated by the finance and education ministries is sacred work, and hopefully the political pressure by the haredi parties will not weaken their resolve. Fines are not enough. The State Prosecutor’s Office must file indictments against those who got caught making false reports.”