Majoring in Aliyah: The constant threat of uni strikes

For the past three years, university students in Israel have not been able to complete their degrees uninterrupted.

In 2006, there was the Second Lebanon War, in which many students, who also serve as reserve soldiers, fought. In October of that year, the Ministry of Education and the Treasury formed the Shochat Committee, which was meant to find a cure for Israeli higher education's numerous ailments. When the Committee recommended that tuition be raised in 2007, the National Union of Israeli Students called a strike. Students around the country blockaded the entrances to university campuses, and even those who opposed the strike were not able to get to class. Last year, senior professors did not teach until February, demanding a raise in their salaries and better working conditions. Israeli students had three semesters: one in which only junior professors taught, one for classes taught by senior professors, and one with both. The third semester ended in August, cutting into students' summer vacation.

For the past few months, the threat of yet another university strike loomed. The presidents of Israel's universities have been complaining about lack of funds for years, and it has been rumored that the National Union of Israeli Students will strike once again if tuition is raised.

A few weeks before this semester began, I, and every other university student in Israel, received the e-mail we had been dreading.

"Dear Students," it began. "Under the circumstances created by negotiations with the Ministry of the Treasury, we will not be able to open the school year." The letter continued with an explanation that the Israeli university system is in decline due to lack of funding, and that the government has not fulfilled its promises to rehabilitate it and ensure that universities in Israel will continue to function. According to the letter, some of the consequences of the budget cuts include a reduction in course choices, cancellation of elective courses, and overcrowded classes, among other unfortunate repercussions. The letter was signed by the presidents of Israel's seven universities.

The semester began as planned on November 2, but students and faculty were unsure of its fate until three days before, when the universities were granted 515 million shekels in an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Finance Minister Ronny Bar-On and Education Minister Yuli Tamir.

Sounds like the story ended happily ever after, doesn't it? If only life were so simple. Recently, the junior professors got in on the striking action, disrupting classes by refusing to lecture for two hours. They are threatening to strike if their working conditions don't improve by November 23. University administrators' hands are tied, however, because the government still hasn't given them the funds necessary to grant the junior professors the perks they were promised. The presidents of Israel's universities have threatened to shut down their institutions if they don't receive the money they were promised.

In my opinion, there's only one solution. Tuition needs to be raised. The government already invests exorbitant sums in higher education, but it isn't enough. From my experience at Bar-Ilan, the university can't afford to update its library or to buy enough copies of commonly-used texts. Classes are overcrowded, and basic services found in campuses around the world, such as wireless internet hot-spots, are unavailable. The price of a university education, which stands at 9,212 shekels per year for undergraduate students, is set by the government. If the government can't afford to stabilize this amount by funding improvements on campus, the students will have to invest more in their futures.

Although my basic tuition, like that of other student olim, is paid by the Ministry of Absorption, I understand that an added expense would be a burden on sabra students. However, in my opinion, the benefit of receiving a quality higher education outweighs its cost by far. As a result of improvements in the university system, the students will surely earn back the expense. They would be making a three-year investment that will bring them long-term benefits.

This doesn't mean that the government shouldn't take any responsibility. Merit scholarships should be funded by the Ministry of Education and the Jewish Agency, and the government should have a financial aid system, with grants and low-interest student loans for those that qualify. The universities could do what many of their counterparts abroad do: grant scholarships in exchange for on-campus work. Each hour a student works stacking books in the library or photocopying documents in the dean's office would count as a credit towards his or her tuition.

This solution may not be popular, it may cause another strike, but it is well worth it. Raising tuition will help the universities stay open in the long run, and will allow professors to get the raises and social benefits they deserve. After all, we are "The People of the Book." If we don't work to improve our minds, we will lose our greatest natural resource.