Israel Teachers Union chief Yaffa Ben David said Tuesday that she is negotiating with the Finance Ministry regarding shortening the school week, among other things, following Hebrew media reports that the ministry would be overhauling the elementary education system amid a reported widespread shortage of teachers.

Ben David said, however, that she was also calling for teachers to get more time off.

“I agree to shortening the week to five days, but I have conditions: teachers will work four days a week and have one day at home for errands and professional development,” Ben David said, speaking at the annual conference of the Association of Local Government Education Department Directors, held in Eilat.

Her comments followed a Ynet news report earlier Tuesday that said the Finance Ministry was planning to shorten the school week from six days to five days, and also shorten summer break, so that the school year will begin as early as August 15 instead of September 1.

“Instructional hours in elementary schools need to be reduced to 23 hours, like in middle schools. That is what I will demand. We will fight to reduce teaching hours. In Israel, we study more than in........

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