HILA

HILA – The Israel Committee for Equality in Education was established in 1987 in order to train and support parents with the aim of integrating them into the pedagogical process as significant and influencing participants and as catalysts for the improvement of academic standards. The main objective of HILA's activities is to decrease socio-economical gaps and increase social mobility by advancing the level of teaching in low income neighborhoods, development towns and Arab villages. The organization works amongst Jews and Arabs, Mizrahim (Jews from Islamic countries),veteran citizens and immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia.

HILA believes that proactive parents are the driving force for educational change. It aims to raise the consciousness of parents in the periphery of Israel regarding educational rights and to empower them to become agents of educational change in their communities. This is done by conducting courses and seminars for parent groups as well as providing private consultancy and support in parents’ struggles.               

WebSite: www.hila-equal-edu.org.il

The project "Center for Parent and Student Rights in Education" helps to establish HILA's consultancy activity - providing parents with information, support, counseling, advocacy, and referrals to legal, pedagogical, and psychological experts. With the help of a hotline, assistance is provided to parents and students whose rights in the education system have been violated. The Center also functions through outreach and provides support to HILA’s community education advisors. It includes accessible information on educational rights and regulations published on HILA's website, direct consultancy by mail or phone, assistance in writing official letters, assistance in receiving education records and analysis of documents, legal representation of parents in special education placement and appeal committees, tutoring of school parent committees, consultancy for parents groups, local struggles and more.