Don't write to the teacher on WhatsApp: Israeli schools change rules for parents

The head of the teachers' union, Yafa Ben-David, demanded a ban on parents contacting teachers via personal phones and WhatsApp. The trigger was a new Education Ministry circular limiting evening and nighttime communication. The union insists on moving communication to email, while parent committees oppose it, arguing it would harm direct contact between families and schools.

The head of the Israeli teachers' union, Yafa Ben-David, demanded a ban on parents contacting teachers via personal phones and WhatsApp. This demand followed the publication by the Ministry of Education of a new circular, details of which became known on August 17. According to the document, parents will no longer be able to write to teachers in the evenings and at night, and each school must set specific hours for such contacts. The circular also defines appropriate times for WhatsApp messages, reasonable response times, and rules to protect teachers' personal time. Detailed discussions about a child's academic performance and emotional state, as well as parent visits to schools, must be arranged in advance. The circular was prepared at the union's request after negotiations with parent committee leadership lasting about a year and a half. Ben-David believes the document prohibits using teachers' personal phones for work contacts and demands providing parents with alternative communication means, such as official email. The national parent committee leadership opposed this, stating that clear boundaries are set through dialogue, respect, and partnership, not unilateral directives. Parents emphasized that banning WhatsApp communication could harm direct contact between families and schools.