Education in Israel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Educational oversight
Education Minister of Israel
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Education Ministry Gideon Sa'ar |
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| National education budget | 27.5 billion ₪ (2008) | |
| Primary language(s) | Hebrew & Arabic | |
| State & Private system |
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| Literacy () • Men • Women |
97.1 (99.5% of youth [2004])[1]% % % |
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| Enrollment • Primary • Secondary • Post-secondary |
1,445,555 828,732 259,139 357,685 |
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| Attainment • Secondary diploma • Post-secondary diploma |
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Education in Israel plays a major part in the life and culture of the country. Israel has a comprehensive education system with an emphasis on progressive educational trends. Expenditure on education accounts for approximately 10% of GDP, and most schools are subsidized by the state.
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[edit] Educational tracks
Israeli schools are divided into four tracks: state, state-religious, Haredi (hinukh atzma'i) and Arab.[1] The majority of Israeli children attend state schools. State-religious schools, catering to youngsters from the Orthodox Jewish sector, offer intensive Jewish studies programs. Schools in the Arab sector teach in Arabic and offer a curriculum that emphasizes Arab history, religion and culture. The Haredi schools operate independently but must adhere to a core curriculum determined by the Ministry of Education to receive funding.[citation needed]
The education system consists of three tiers: primary education (grades 1-6, approx. ages 6-12), middle school (grades 7-9, approx. ages 12-15) and high school (grades 10-12, approx. ages 15-18). Compulsory education is from kindergarten through 10th grade, though most continue through 12th.
The school year in Israel begins on 1 September and ends, in elementary school on 30 June, and in middle school and high school on 20 June.
[edit] Matriculation (Bagrut)
Secondary education prepares students for the Israeli matriculation exams (bagrut). These are exams covering various academic disciplines, which are studied in units (yehidot limud) of one to five on an ascending scale of difficulty. Students with a passing mark on the mandatory matriculation subjects (Hebrew language, English language, mathematics, scripture and literature), who have been tested on at least 21 units, and passed at least one 5-unit exam, receive a full matriculation certificate. In 2006/7, 74.4% of Israeli 12th graders took the bagrut exams while only 46.3% were eligible for a matriculation certificate. In the Arab and Druze sectors, the figures were 35.6% and 43.7% respectively.[2]
Below is a table illustrating the percentage of matriculation certificate recipients in Israel's largest cities, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (graduation year of 2002). [3]
The Adva Center, a social issues think tank in Israel, says that about 15% of the matriculation certificates issued do not qualify the recipient for admission to Israel's universities. [4]
| City | Recipients (%) |
|---|---|
| Jerusalem | 36 |
| Tel Aviv | 60.3 |
| Haifa | 64.3 |
| Rishon LeZion | 59.2 |
| Ashdod | 55.9 |
| Ashkelon | 58.5 |
| Bat Yam | 49.5 |
| Beersheba | 51.5 |
| Holon | 55.3 |
| Netanya | 52 |
| Petah Tikva | 57 |
| Ramat Gan | 65.3 |
[edit] Higher education
After secondary education, students are generally conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but may request an extension of the conscription date to study at a pre-service Mechina, or in a college or university. Those who study in a university at this stage generally do so under a program called atuda, where their Bachelor's Degree is paid for by the army. They are however obligated to sign a contract with the army extending their service by 2–3 years.
Universities generally require a certain amount of matriculation units (as well as a certain grade average) and a good grade in the Psychometric Entrance Test, which is similar in many respects to the American SAT. All of Israel's eight universities, and some colleges, are subsidized by the state, and students pay only a small part of the actual cost as tuition.
[edit] Status of teachers
Despite Israel's top quality education system, government budget cuts and underpaid teachers have taken their toll. Israel was amongst the top-ranked nations in international rankings for science and mathematics performance in the 1960s, but dropped to 33 out of 41 nations in the 2002 survey.[5] Wages for Israeli teachers are low compared to other industrialized countries according to a survey of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Teachers have opted to leave education for better-paying jobs or work abroad, causing a "Brain drain."
[edit] Comparisons and rankings
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While small in size, Israel has the largest number of Yale University alumni in the Middle East.[2]
Top ten universities in the Middle East according to Webometrics (2006).[3] Israeli universities no longer compete with other Middle Eastern schools in Webometrics, and are now considered European. Four Israeli universities are included in the European Top 100.
[edit] See also
- Education Minister of Israel
- 2007 Israeli student strike
- List of universities and colleges in Israel
[edit] References
- ^ Israel News : Bravo to Michael Melchior
- ^ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1007826.html
- ^ http://www.cbs.gov.il/hodaot2005n/06_05_189b.pdf
- ^ http://www.adva.org/ www.adva.org
- ^ BusinessWeek; "The Crisis in Israel's Classrooms"; pages 92-93;November 19, 2007
[edit] External links
- Fifty Years of Education in the State of Israel
- 'Boycotts are like burning books'
- Students vote Technion best higher education institution in Israel
- Higher education in Israel
