In life, the implications of some decisions only become clear many years later, and in certain cases, can actually lead to the opposite of the desired effect.
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An example of this is the appointment of far-right lawmaker Avi Maoz – leader of the fringe Noam faction and a known opponent of LGBTQ rights – over the new "national Jewish identity" government agency, which gives him authority over nonofficial bodies enlisted to teach our children.
But the appointment, which prompted hysteria among left-wing officials and some parents, is only the most recent development in this story.
Let's go back to 2007 when then-Education Minister Yuli Tamir first opened the door for external parties – that shared her worldview – to enter schools and establish a foothold in the education of our children, causing a butterfly effect that 15 years later would culminate in Maoz's appointment.
Although similar moves were discussed and even proposed before Tamir, she was the one who introduced the reform. She did not even hide her intentions and openly called on reformers to take advantage of her tenure to "drive a stake" through the heart of the education system.
Whether or not you agreed with Tamir's decision in 2007, she was acting within her authority and in adherence to the policies for which she was elected. As such, she solidified the ability of any other politician to determine, at his discretion, which programs, organizations, and figures Israeli students will be exposed to.
And herein lies the problem. Politicians are not interested in promoting education or expanding the minds of our children but are looking to spread their own worldview in schools. This is exactly why their ability to impact education should be limited.
Both the Left and the Right have been known to promote educational reforms for the sake of holding onto power rather than through dialogue with schools and parents.
Tamir's experiment was a double failure. Firstly, it was not in high demand and actually led to the flourishing of Orthodox associations, especially in the Religious Zionist sector. And secondly, the power that Tamir and her bloc sought ended up in the hands of people they would never have dreamed of entrusting it to.
Her hypocrisy is clear, but so is her failure.
Education programs should be as minimally influenced by politicians and their agendas as possible, and must instead be determined by administrators and parents.
As for lawmakers, they should really think about the long-term consequences of their decisions before going through with them.
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