With a scholarship of 6,000 shekels per year: 600 teaching assistants will be trained for kindergarten teacher positions
600 kindergarten teaching assistants will participate this year in a program to earn academic degrees in education. Each participant will receive a scholarship of 6,000 shekels per academic year.
600 kindergarten teaching assistants will participate this year in a program to earn academic degrees in education. Each of them will receive a scholarship of 6,000 shekels for each academic year, and some will receive additional financial assistance.
To date, about 40 women have completed the track, and in the 2026/2027 academic year, about 50 local authorities are expected to operate the program, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Rishon LeZion, Ashdod, Kfar Saba, Afula, Karmiel, Rosh HaAyin, Eilat, Karnei Shomron, and Ramle.
The "Ofek BeTnuah" ("Horizon in Motion") program of the Federation of Local Authorities is a professional development program for kindergarten assistants, aimed at enabling them to advance to the position of kindergarten teacher and management roles in the local education system. Mifal HaPayis is the main funder of the scholarship system, which will amount to 3.6 million shekels in the coming year.
The program began in 2022, based on the understanding that the practical experience of the assistants is a significant asset to the education system. Many of the participants are the first generation to pursue higher education, and for them, the program is a springboard for social mobility. Those who do not have a matriculation certificate take a preparatory year. As part of the program, participants study for a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree in early childhood education and a teaching certificate, while combining work and studies.
The head of the Municipal Studies Administration, Ilanit Dahan Gadash, said:
"The program was built so that every educational support staff member has a complete support system, both academic and mental, including a local coordinator. The first year provides a significant experience of success, and the data from our pilot speaks for itself: 95% of participants complete the program."
The chairman of the Federation of Local Authorities, Haim Bibas, said:
"Instead of looking for the solution to the shortage of kindergarten teachers only outside the system, we identify the potential that already exists within it. Women who have worked for years in kindergartens, know the children, the teams, and the reality on the ground, can become professional and leading kindergarten teachers when they are given the opportunity to learn, develop, and advance."
