JERUSALEM (JTA) — Christian schools in Israel will open after a month-long strike over inequalities in funding. The deal reached early Sunday morning will allow some 33,000 pupils, mostly Muslim, to return to the classroom on Monday, Haaretz reported. Under the agreement between the Christian schools council, representing 47 schools, and the Education Ministry, the schools will receive some $12 million in state funding and a nearly $3 million bonus. The two sides agreed to establish a joint committee to discuss the relationship between the church schools and the Education Ministry, according to Haaretz. The Christian schools did not open at the start of the school year on Sept. 1, alleging that they receive only one-third as much government funding as comparable Jewish schools. The government used to fund 65 percent of Christian schools’ budgets, but that amount was cut to 34 percent in 2013, according to Haaretz. The ministry says it has offered to allow the Christian schools to become part of the State system, making them eligible for more State funding. Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed