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Sirotnikov
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<--- Yes, It's a "kitty" in a boot.
Feb 2000
time: 07:32
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I thought I'd write about this, as I think it is a world precedent.
A few days ago almost a third of Israeli school students went on a strike against a newly proposed reform to the schooling system. The reform, among other things suggests lengthening school days and studying 5 days instead of 6, and suggests changing the length of vacations, mainly - severely shortening the summer break (2 months now) and the passover holiday (3 weeks). The new reform also suggests a school code which defines almost everything, but ignores completely such issues as the role of the student, the rights of the student and so on.
The students are also mostly angry that the national student's council is too weak and does not represent their voice, as they were completely left out of the committe which worked on the reform - infact the student's voice was completely unheard of in the preparation of this reform. And the student's council just lackeyd along without seriously peeping.
This reform is the largest yet in the Israeli education and is meant to improve both the quality of education and the state of schooling in general.
So what is so ground breaking about this strike?
It was organized completely by the students, without involvement of organizerd bodies such as the national student council. It was thought up and organized via the internet using a few web pages, and nation wide instant messaging and a whole array of SMS communication.
The ministry of education panicked and demanded punishing the strikers - which I think is pretty stupid.
The beauty is - that no official body stood behind this and this event happenned out of total "anarchy" using the new tools of electronic communications.
ICQ, MSN Messanger, SMS messages and a few ugly webpages is all it took to get almost a third of the students on strike. And it is not because the rest haven't heard - rather because they feared (justifiably) the school reprisal.
I think it is both dangerous (as this could potencially cause total anarchy eventually, as students go out of control) but also beautiful as it shows the power of inter-personal communication and the power the younger generation has - which it isn't afraid to use.
Your thoughts?
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OzzyKP
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Rockville, MD
Oct 1999
time: 00:32
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nm, I found one:
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/546666.html
quote:
Students strike, protesting lack of voice in school reform plan
By Yulie Khromchenko, Haaretz Correspondent
Twenty percent of middle school and high school students, some 120,000 pupils, did not show up for school Tuesday after a group of students initiated a strike in protest of planned reforms in the education system. The group used the Internet and SMS text messages to spread word of the strike.
The pupils say they are protesting the fact that their input was not sought by the Dovrat Commission, which was appointed to draw up reforms in the education system in order to improve performance in Israel's schools. The commission has recommended extending the school day, shortening vacations and changing the dates of semesters.
Education Ministry Chairman Ronit Tirosh said she was troubled that many parents supported the students' tactics. Tirosh said she was sorry the striking students did not ask to meet with Education Ministry officials to discuss the commission's finding. The National Student Council, who had no role in the strike, also said it was opposed to the action.
According to statistics provided by regional councils and the Education Ministry, the strike only affected the Jewish sector. In Arab and Bedouin towns, schools were unaffected. Schools in the north reported 95 percent attendance, with 85 percent of Haifa pupils showing up. In Tel Aviv, central Israel and Jerusalem attendance levels of 80 percent were reported, while in the south only 55 percent of pupils attended school.
Schools most affected were in Ra'anana, Tel Mond and Rosh Ha'ayin, where 40-50 percent of pupils were absent. Within Tel Aviv, schools in the north of the city were most affected. |
Good for them. Its about time students organize to make their voice heard.
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Eli
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Israel
Jul 2000
time: 07:32
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Ozzy: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/547236.html
---
Meh. It would've been great had the students really wanted to protest against the reform. But we all know what really happened... A few people really read the report and didnt like it, which is good, but 99% of the students just used the opportunity to stay at home.
So it's good in principle, but in this case it's a joke.
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lord of the mark
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FUKCOV - Former United Kingdom Colony of Virginia
Dec 2000
time: 00:32
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quote:
Originally posted by OzzyKP
Awesome!!! 
Youth Power!
I think that is excellent. I think its amazing how in other countries there are student strikes. I have never heard of one here, either large or small scale. One day I'll organize one though  but for now, this is great news from Israel. Do you have a link to an english news article about it? |
"The reform, among other things suggests lengthening school days and studying 5 days instead of 6, and suggests changing the length of vacations, mainly - severely shortening the summer break (2 months now) and the passover holiday (3 weeks)"
yeah, kids shouldnt have long days, lose their summer breaks - theyre not little adults, theyre still growing and maturing, they need time to play.
Seriously, i was part of a student strike when i was in High School - we lost though, but it was noble while it lasted
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OzzyKP
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Rockville, MD
Oct 1999
time: 00:32
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quote:
Originally posted by lord of the mark
"The reform, among other things suggests lengthening school days and studying 5 days instead of 6, and suggests changing the length of vacations, mainly - severely shortening the summer break (2 months now) and the passover holiday (3 weeks)"
yeah, kids shouldnt have long days, lose their summer breaks - theyre not little adults, theyre still growing and maturing, they need time to play.
Seriously, i was part of a student strike when i was in High School - we lost though, but it was noble while it lasted |
Oh, I don't care really about what they are campaigning for. I just care that they had the balls to stand up and demand to be heard.
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lord of the mark
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FUKCOV - Former United Kingdom Colony of Virginia
Dec 2000
time: 00:32
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quote:
Originally posted by OzzyKP
oh, yea  |
January 1976. Stuyvesant High School. New York City budget crisis. They announce theyre going to eliminate Earth Science (getting rid of the popular Earth Sci teacher, and this IS supposed to be a science/math school) and they KEEP the second asst principal - the one who handles discipline (like why do we need THAT, we're smart elitists, no?) everyones annoyed with all the cuts, theres nothing we can do about size of the cuts, but maybe we can make our voice heard about WHAT is cut. Student Council is led by two guys who are were born just a few years too late for the '60's. I was my homerooms rep on the student council. With reluctance (IIRC) i voted to strike. along with the majority of the Council.
we started when the new term began, on a Monday. Picket line. "they say cutback, we say fightback" "keep Stuy High"  First day attendance was pretty sparse. Teachers crossed the line (like dont expect me to honor your pickets the next time YOU strike, Ms. American Federation of Teachers) Our hope was to get the attention of the city govt, bd of ed, and embarrass the school before the kids got too nervous about their grades. NYT and Daily News did stories. The News talked to us, and wrote an article that slanted our way/ The Times talked to the admin and wrote a statement that slanted THEIR way (newspaper of record my foot). Not enough to make real trouble for the school, not with so much else happening in the city. And not much time, these are kids who DONT want their grades to suffer.
By Wednesday most of the students had gone back to school, and IIRC by Thursday we'd called it off.
For the life of me, I cant remember what happened to the Earth Sciences teacher.
And the girl I met on the picket line, I went out with once, and it never took off
Last edited by lord of the mark on 03-03-2005 at 23:59
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03-03-2005 22:50
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