RAANANA Native English Speakers English Lessons - REINSTATE

Please rethink this. Our kids need the challenge or they just get bored in class.

My daughter is reaching a high level and this would really set her back. Why would Raanana stop supporting this when other cities keep it going?

This is ridiculous for Raanana. Not the best idea to cut the English programme for our kids

Ridiculous decision. We moved to this city specifically for the schools and this program. Fix it.

I am a Tali parent. This decision is unacceptble.

I also find this decision unacceptable. Please reconsider.

I come to this discussion from 2 angles. First as a kid who made aliya as a kid and experienced both native speakers classes and being shoved into non-native classes and secondly as a parent with kids who have been through native speakers' classes (one of who garnered Yavne the Sharon spelling bee championship), another who's in them now and another one soon to start. As a person who went through this as a kid I can attest to the fact that putting native speakers with foreign speakers on the same level causes problems on multiple levels: The native speakers get nothing and get bored and spend their time correcting the (often non-native) teacher's mistakes leaving the teacher worried about everything they're about to say. The Hebrew speakers participate less both because they lose respect for the teacher (whose English isn't as good as their own classmates) and are afraid of their classmates reactions to their own mistakes. The parents get upset because their kids (Native or Non) are learning nothing. And ultimately the teacher realizes it's pointless and quits. At this point the powers that be are forced to come up with the only possible solution which is to return to the separate class system that already exists now! So the only one that loses out is the kids. The other solution that is used is to "bribe" the native speakers to do book reports to hand in to the teacher and not go to classes. This means that the kids are deprived of their right to English classes, gives the kids no direction in writing said reports and is mainly done to save the teacher embarrassment. It's also likely illegal since kids are entitled to sit in class and be taught to a reasonable level which the book report method doesn't address.

Not okay! Zeevik, as you know, Dovid and I are Chorev parents. We already pay for the English classes so that our children can study on their level in school. These classes of English for Native Speakers must be allowed to continue. Just as there are levels in math, so must there be in English, which must cater to a wide immigrant population, especially in Raanana. Students being taught a high level of English will only help Israel. It is a complete waste of time for a child of ours to sit through an English class intended for children who do not speak, read or write English at home. There is not enough time after school to accomplish what should be happening during English class in school. Either schools provide an education appropriate to our children's level or we might as well homeschool our kids.

Mr. Bielski, think of it this way: Would you have native or mother-tongue Hebrew speakers sit in an ulpan class in order to maintain and advance their education in lashon and safrut?

I have 2 children in Bilu and expect them to be taught English on a higher level. This decision is unacceptable.