Education Ministry Claims: Thousands of Names Submitted by Teachers' Union for Budgeting Are Not Active Employees
The Education Ministry published an interim report on 100,828 names submitted by the Teachers' Union for the 2026 budget, finding that only 32,622 are defined as active employees. Among others, 8,196 names were found that do not exist in the ministry's systems, 3,887 retirees, and about 823 teachers who have not taught since 2000. Minister Yoav Kisch alleged a "mechanism of tens of thousands of false reports," while the Teachers' Union responded that the ministry determines eligibility and budget.
The Education Ministry published an interim report examining 100,828 names submitted by the Teachers' Union for the 2026 budget. According to the report, only 32,622 names are defined as active employees. Among the inactive names, 8,196 were found that do not exist at all in the ministry's systems, meaning they never worked in the education system. Additionally, 3,887 retirees and about 823 teachers who have not taught since 2000 or even earlier were found. The report indicates a trend: in 2020, 29,094 names of inactive employees were reported, compared to 32,622 in 2026. Education Minister Yoav Kisch said in a press briefing that the report is a first step in a policy change, and that from now on, any financial deduction will be carried out in a controlled manner through the pay slip. He called the findings a "mechanism of tens of thousands of false reports" and accused Teachers' Union chairman Ran Erez of a systematic attempt to betray public trust and extort funds. The Teachers' Union responded that it operates and reports to the ministry solely according to its instructions, and that the ministry is the one that performs the sorting and determines eligibility. The union noted that no inquiry has been received from the Education Ministry on the matter.