Author: Prof. Yehuda Bar Shalom
The Israeli education system is an important foundation for the country’s identity and development. Israeli society was built by immigrants from dozens of countries and five continents, and includes a diverse Arab minority. This is also reflected in the four main branches of the school system.
Education in Israel is closely intertwined with cultural, religious and political life and reflects the complexity of Israeli society. From the outset, education was one of the young state’s top priorities. The Compulsory Education Law of 1949 guarantees all children free access to education. Given the economic difficulties of the early days, this prioritisation of educational goals was remarkable.
Over time, the education system has developed four main branches:
- The state system (mamlachti) – This system is attended by the children of most secular Jewish families. Today, it comprises slightly less than 50 per cent of all Jewish pupils.
- The state-religious system (mamlachti-dati) – Although this branch is supported by the state, it is primarily aimed at the national-religious-Zionist population. It covers slightly less than 20 per cent of Jewish pupils.
- The ultra-Orthodox system (charedi) – This branch of education focuses almost exclusively on the study of religious texts. It is criticised for teaching core subjects such as mathematics, English and science to a limited extent only. The ultra-Orthodox sector currently accounts for about 30 per cent of Jewish schoolchildren. Since 1960, the number of pupils has increased more than fivefold.
- The Arab system – Instruction is in Arabic, not Hebrew, and the curriculum is adapted to Arab culture. This branch now comprises about 23 per cent of all pupils in Israel. This coexistence of education systems reflects the pluralism of Israeli society. At the same time, it reflects many of its internal divisions and tensions.
The Ministry of Education plays a decisive role in education policy. However, local authorities and private institutions are also important players. This diversity demonstrates Israel’s pluralism, but also leads to fragmentation and inequality. In practice, wealthy local authorities, together with strong parents’ associations and private institutions, provide additional funding. This gives their schools advantages over schools in other socio-economic strata. These privileges can take many forms, from funding support programmes and modern technology to extracurricular activities, smaller class sizes and private tutoring. This can significantly widen the gap between students in affluent communities and those in disadvantaged regions.
In a society that sees the education system as the foundation of its identity and cohesion, such inequalities threaten to undermine the sense of community and shared responsibility. This is despite the fact that the system is supposed to promote precisely these values.
Despite structural inequality, Israeli schools have impressive strengths. Literacy and school enrolment rates are high, and Israel has developed innovative approaches to teaching. The integration of technology is well advanced, with many schools already using digital platforms before the coronavirus pandemic. The state has allocated substantial funds for the integration of immigrants. The education system has also invested a great deal of energy in integrating new citizens. In recent decades, the Ministry of Education has launched special programmes for Ethiopian, Russian and, most recently, Ukrainian students. Many of these programmes have facilitated their smoother integration.
Innovative teaching and closing educational gaps
In line with the ethos of the “start-up nation”, Israel focuses on future-oriented educational concepts, especially in the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The aim is to enable pupils to enter the high-tech sector and participate in Israel’s globally significant innovation hub. To this end, the education system promotes problem-solving skills, creativity and teamwork. Learning programmes, laboratories and science competitions encourage pupils to apply what they have learned in practice. Introducing young people to technological and scientific fields is also a driving force behind the country’s economic development. The high-tech industry demands creativity, analytical skills and independent thinking. Future-oriented teaching in STEM subjects is promoted more strongly in the Israeli education system than in many other countries. In recent years, there has also been progress in gender equality. In the past, the Israeli education system was characterised by significant gender disparities for a long time. These were evident at all levels and generally favoured male students. Today, these differences have largely disappeared. In many areas, the balance has even shifted in favour of girls. They also achieve better results than boys in almost all core subjects (Ayalon, Blass, Feniger & Shavit, 2019).
Challenges
However, alongside these successes, there are also major challenges. The performance gap between different socio-economic groups is among the highest in the OECD. Pupils in peripheral parts of the country, in Arab communities and in the ultra-Orthodox sector often fall far below the national average. Many ultra-Orthodox schools deliberately refrain from teaching core subjects such as mathematics, English and science. They focus almost exclusively on the study of religious texts. This reflects a worldview that values religious scholarship more highly than preparation for the modern labour market. At the same time, it deepens the educational divide within Israeli society. This disparity jeopardises both social cohesion and economic growth.
The Israeli education system reflects an ongoing tension between national thinking and cosmopolitan influences. On the one hand, there is an emphasis on creating a common ethos for the Jewish majority. The focus here is on the Zionist perspective, nation building and a religious-national attitude as central elements of collective identity. On the other hand, there is a strong drive towards globalisation. This is reinforced by international trends towards the adoption of universal values, global norms and internationally recognised practices. Open contradictions are being replaced by a pattern of “cosmopolitan nationalism”. This concept strategically integrates global perspectives in order to strengthen national structures, not to replace them. The hybrid approach is evident, for example, in curriculum reforms based on international benchmarks. These include an expansion of programmes such as the International Baccalaureate and alternative educational offerings with both global and local aspirations. This creates a reality in which the system is simultaneously exposed to contradictory demands: it is supposed to educate students to become globally engaged citizens while at the same time promoting a clearly defined national ethos. The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the difficulty of conveying contradictory narratives in a heterogeneous society further exacerbate the challenges facing the education system (Yemini et al., 2014).
The teaching profession
Another serious problem is the situation of the teaching profession in Israel. Low salaries, large classes (28 pupils in primary school compared to an OECD average of 21) and high workloads often lead to burnout and a persistent shortage of teachers, especially in science and English. Violence and social tensions are sometimes reflected in the classroom and challenge the authority of teachers. The far-reaching powers of the Ministry of Education severely restrict the autonomy of schools. School administrators have little leeway to adapt teaching to local needs. Although the integration of students with special needs has improved, progress is uneven across regions.
Between 1974 and 2024, Israeli education policy sought to enhance the status of the teaching profession. The Ministry of Education and the Council for Higher Education initiated far-reaching reforms: the academic upgrading of teacher training colleges, the continuous revision of teacher training curricula, organised support for new entrants to the profession, new opportunities for professional development including higher degrees, salary reforms and, finally, the transfer of teacher training colleges to the sole responsibility of the Council for Higher Education and its Planning and Budget Committee. With the support of the Ministry, committees and working groups were formed to strengthen teachers’ skills in dealing with new challenges. These measures were intended to recognise teachers as key figures in improving the entire education system. Despite all these initiatives, the reputation of the teaching profession has continued to deteriorate. When asked, “Would you like your child to become a teacher?”, many parents answer no. In other words, the profession continues to be considered unattractive, and the shortage of teachers persists. The level of training is also often perceived as inadequate. In addition, the sector suffers from inconsistent policies and fluctuating priorities that undermine reforms. The profession remains caught up in a multitude of initiatives that neither generate sufficient appreciation nor create stability (Donitsa-Schmidt, 2024). Between 2021 and 2024, the coronavirus pandemic further exacerbated the situation. The switch to online teaching led to unprecedented stress. At the same time, increased parental control caused massive stress for teachers. As a result, many left the profession, further exacerbating the shortage of teachers. School administrators had to improvise. They resorted to emergency solutions such as larger classes or reducing the number of subjects taught. In some cases, unqualified teachers were employed, while in others, teachers taught subjects for which they were not trained.
In 2024, the Council for Higher Education and the Ministry of Education launched a far-reaching reform. Teacher training was shortened from four to three years in many institutions, and the curriculum was reduced to two-thirds. Officially, this was supposed to meet the needs of “Generation Z”. In practice, however, it meant a departure from decades of policy and fuelled accusations of a further decline in the quality of teacher training.
Israel in comparison with other countries
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests how well 15-year-old students are prepared for the demands of real life in the areas of mathematics, reading and science.
The results achieved in Israel in 2022 were close to the OECD average in mathematics and science and close to the average in reading. Around two-thirds of Israeli students achieved the minimum level or above – a proportion that is still lower than in many other OECD countries.
At the same time, there was an outstanding group of high-performing students: 8 per cent achieved top results in mathematics, 11 per cent in reading and 6 per cent in science. Overall, results have remained stable since 2018, with slight improvements in 2022.
Persistent socio-economic differences continue to shape performance. Too many students still struggle to achieve basic skills in all three areas (PISA 2022).
Higher education
Israeli universities are highly regarded worldwide, particularly in the fields of computer science, medicine and engineering. The Hebrew University, the Technion Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv University and other institutions regularly appear in international rankings. Israeli universities have produced several Nobel Prize winners and made significant contributions to advances in agriculture, cybersecurity and pharmaceuticals. Academic research also strengthens the high-tech sector and fosters close links between universities and industry. International cooperation and exchange programmes ensure Israeli researchers have access to global networks and cement Israel’s reputation as a centre of scientific excellence and high technology. Despite limited resources, Israeli science achieves much more than would be expected given the size of the country. At the same time, the higher education landscape faces growing difficulties. Budget cuts and bureaucracy are slowing growth and international competitiveness. Many young scientists are going abroad, which is exacerbating the brain drain. In addition, rising tuition fees and living costs are making it difficult for students from low-income backgrounds to access higher education. Inclusion in higher education must therefore be intensified. According to a survey, around 40 per cent of Israelis believe that various social groups are not adequately represented at universities. Almost half of those surveyed believe that universities need to take more proactive steps to change this imbalance. With the exception of efforts to increase the proportion of women among teaching staff, universities are lagging far behind in terms of the representation of other social groups (Yair, 2023). Compared to their European counterparts, Israeli students face particular challenges. Many begin their studies later because they must first complete military service. At university, their studies are often interrupted by reserve duty. Numerous students must balance their studies with work and family obligations, which makes their educational path even more difficult. Despite these burdens, Israeli students are considered highly motivated, resilient and pragmatic – qualities that contribute to good academic performance and success in the high-tech sector. At the same time, however, these circumstances also exacerbate structural problems. Study times are getting longer. People without strong financial or social support find it particularly difficult to successfully complete higher education. The resulting frustration among young academics often prompts them to seek their future abroad.
Although the number of Arab students is increasing, many of them still face significant barriers to integration and career advancement. The ultra-Orthodox sector has only recently begun to participate more extensively in higher education. However, it receives insufficient support. Added to this is the question of academic freedom: political debates sometimes intrude into university committees and make independent decisions difficult. In times of global competition for talent and research funding, Israeli academia must find ways to remain open, independent and attractive – both for local and international students. Greater participation by Arab and ultra-Orthodox students is not only a question of social inclusion, but also crucial for maintaining Israel’s academic performance and international competitiveness.
Education as a mirror of society
Israelis have many reasons to be proud of their education system. Nevertheless, it also reflects the country’s internal divisions. On the one hand, schools have succeeded in bringing different population groups together and imparting modernity. On the other hand, they have failed to overcome deep-rooted inequalities. Universities have gained international recognition, but struggle with underfunding, barriers to access and the risk of losing promising young talent.
In recent years, the Israeli education system has also been shaken by deep crises. As mentioned above, the coronavirus pandemic forced a rapid transition to online learning. This transition revealed and exacerbated the digital divide and the lack of equal opportunities in the country’s academic and social development. Recently, Israeli society has been experiencing internal divisions. The debates on judicial reform are not only being held in the public arena. They have also reached schools and universities, exacerbating social polarisation and placing educators in the crossfire of political discourse. The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip has strained everyday life, displaced families from their homes and placed a heavy emotional burden on students and teachers. Taken together, these crises underscore the vulnerability of the education system. These developments reveal the urgent need to strengthen its resilience. In his research on changes in the Israeli education system in recent years, Blass (2024) identified the following challenges:
- Deepening divisions: The growing differences between the four education systems – state, state-religious, Arab and ultra-Orthodox – are making it increasingly difficult to maintain a common Israeli ethos. Differences that once seemed minor are now clearly evident in public debates, political discourse and even in the allocation of state funds. Even more serious is the danger of an erosion of the few common foundations that have shaped Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
- Erosion of tolerance: Violence and intolerance are increasingly finding their way into school discourse – among pupils, between pupils and teachers, and even in staff rooms. Such trends jeopardise the education system’s ability to impart values such as respect, listening and democratic dialogue. These values are indispensable for a diverse and open society.
- Instability as the norm: The education system, which should actually impart stability, is becoming increasingly unstable. Frequent disruptions undermine pupils’ trust in educational institutions. If schools themselves do not exemplify reliability, there is a risk that their graduates will not respect fundamental values and rules. A lack of respect, in turn, easily leads to disregard for social norms.
Taken together, these challenges highlight the precarious state of the Israeli education system at a crucial point in its history. Many Israeli academics agree that deep divisions, growing intolerance and structural instability not only weaken the school system itself, but also jeopardise the foundations of social cohesion and democratic culture. If education is to continue to ensure Israel’s resilience and progress in the future, it is essential to bridge divisions, promote tolerance and restore trust in its institutions.
At the same time, the successes of the education system should not be overlooked. Israel’s thriving high-tech sector, supported by young university graduates, reflects the high quality of education. The phenomenon of brain drain is worrying, but it also demonstrates the qualifications that the Israeli system imparts at all levels. In addition, several Israeli universities regularly rank among the best in the world. These achievements have been made despite external threats and profound demographic changes. They serve as a reminder that, despite all its problems, the education system plays a central role in Israel’s international position (Blass, 2022).
Challenges for the future
The Israeli education system is a key factor in securing the future of the state. The task is to develop an efficient, innovative and resilient system that promotes equality and closes existing gaps in education. Strengthening the teaching profession and educating critical and responsible citizens remain central to this. In the academic sphere, access to universities must be expanded without compromising their excellence. Equally crucial are the strengthening of international partnerships and the protection of academic freedom. Education has always been a driving force for survival and success. It will continue to be the key to social cohesion and international competitiveness in the future. Ultimately, Israel’s future depends not only on technological progress or military strength, but on how well it succeeds in preparing the next generation for their tasks through education.
Source: Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung (in German)
Licence:
This text has been published under the Creative Commons Licence “CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 – Attribution – Non-commercial – No adaptations 4.0 International”. Author: Prof. Yehuda Bar Shalom for bpb.de