The Israeli education system faces challenges in integrating large influxes of immigrants from over 70 countries since 1948. It has developed special programs to teach Hebrew, Jewish history and train teachers for immigrant students. The government funds most schools, with higher expenditures on education than most OECD countries. The system includes state schools (majority), state-religious schools, Arab schools, independent religious schools and private schools. Enrollment has greatly increased since the 1950s. Higher education plays a key role in Israel's development, with over half of youth attending university. However, Arab students face resource gaps compared to Jewish students.

1. CONTEMPORARY EDUCATION SYSTEMS
Ministry of Education Headquarters (https://en.wikipedia.org)

2. Challenges
•Before the establishment of the state (1948), a
fully functioning education system existed,
developed by the pre-state Jewish community.
•After the establishment, the education system
has faced the challenge of integrating a large
influx of Jewish immigrants from 70+ countries.

3. IMMIGRANT STATUS
When From Where Why
1950s Postwar Europe & Arab countries
To fulfill
Israel's raison
d'être as the
homeland
1960s North Africa
1970s~ the Soviet Union (Millions)
the Americas & Western countries

4. Ministry of Education Faces Urgent Demands I
•Develop special tools and methods for youngsters
from various cultural backgrounds
•Design special programs including appropriate
curricular aids and short-term classes, such as the
Hebrew language and Jewish history.
•Initiate special courses to train teachers to deal with
immigrant pupils, & to retrain immigrant teachers.

5. Ministry of Education Faces Urgent Demands II
•Bring educational standards in line with modern pedagogic
practices: mandating gender equality, upgrading teacher
status, broadening humanistic curricula, & promoting
scientific/technological studies.
•Provide equal opportunities in education for all children and
to increase the number of pupils passing matriculation
examinations.

6. Enrollment and Expenditure
•Elementary students 80,000 (1949): 120,000 (1950) 150% ↑
•Enrollment (2014): Total 1,445,555 (Primary 828,732,
Secondary 259,139, Tertiary 357,685)
•Diploma (2012): Secondary 85% Tertiary 46% (tied with
Japan, after Canada: the OECD average of 32%)
•Expenditure on education (2014): 10% of its GDP
(the fifth among OECD countries)

7. Administration and Structure
• The Ministry of Education is charged with school curricula, educational
standards, supervision of teaching personnel, and school buildings.
• Local authorities are charged with maintenance & equipment/supplies.
• Teachers (the kindergarten to 6th grades) are ministry employees, while
those in the upper grades are employed by local authorities.
• The government and local authorities finance 80% & other sources 20%.
• ETV: produces educational programs for classrooms & common people.

8. Israel Education System (Since 1975)
age Grade Level
26-27 Doctorate (2-3 years)
24-25 19-20 Master’s Degree (2 years)
21-23 16-18 University (3 years)
20 15
18-19 13-14 Compulsory Military-Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
(2 years for women & 3 years for men)
15-17 10-12 Senior High School (3 years)
12-14 7-9 Junior High School (3 years)
6-11 1-6 Primary School (6 years)
5 Required: 1 year/Kindergarten
2-4 Optional: 1-2 years /Day Care

11. Schedule for Primary Schools (Grades 1-6)
Average Number of Hours Per Week
Subjects Hebrew Arab/Druze Subjects Hebrew Arab/Druze
Reading/Writing/ Literature 7.7 10.3 Art 2.0 2.0
Mathematics 6.0 6.0 Physical Education 2.0 2.0
Science & Technology 3.0 3.0 Religious Studies 2.3 2.3
Social Studies * 3.3 3.3 Other (life Skills) 1.0 1.0
Foreign Language 2.0 2.0 Compulsory Flexible 2.0 1.8
TOTAL Hebrew 31.3 Arab/Druze 33.8

12. Schedule for Lower Secondary Schools (Grades 7-9)
Subject State State-Religious Arab/Druze Education
Reading/Writing/Liter 6.0 5.7 9.3-9.0
Mathematics 5.3 4.3 5
Science & Technology 5.7 4.7 4.7
Social Studies * 5.7 5.7 5.7
Foreign Language 7.0 6.0 4.4
Physical Education 2.0 2.0 2.0
Religious Studies 3.0 7.0 2.0
Other (life Skills) 0.3 0.3 0.3
Compulsory Flexible 0.7 0.7 2.7
TOTAL 35.7 36.4
Average Number of Hours Per Week

13. Schedule for Upper Secondary Schools (Grades 10-12)
Average Number of Hours Per Week
Subjects Hebrew Education Arab/ Druze Ed
State State-Religious
Reading/Writing/ Liter- 4.0 4 10-9
Mathematics 5.0 5 5
Science & Technol. 2.0 2 2
Social Studies * 5.3 5-3 6-5
Foreign Language 6.0 5 5
Physical Education 2.0 2 2
Religious Studies 2.0 10 2
Compulsory Curriculum 5 7-5 5 7-5 5 7-5
Non-compulsory Curri- 7-5 5 7-5 5 7-5
TOTAL 36.3 38.3-36.3 43.3 45.3-43.3 42-40 46-40
Track Academic Technology Academic Technology Academic Technology
Average Number of Hours Per Week
Subjects Hebrew Education Arab/ Druze Ed

14. Types of School
• Schools are divided into five groups: State, State religious, State
Arab/Druze, Independent religious schools, and Private schools
• State Schools/Public Schools: majority of youth attend.
• State-religious schools (Orthodox) Jewish studies programs,
emphasize tradition and observance.
• Arab/Druze Schools: emphasizes Arab history, religion & culture.
• Independent Schools (ultra-Orthodox): almost entirely on Talmud
Torah; partially supported by the State (55% of state school).
• Private schools are run mainly by Catholic and Protestant groups.

15. Operation of Schools
• Most schools are subsidized by the state (10% of GDP (2014).
• Compulsory education: kindergarten to 12th grade.
• The language of instruction Hebrew (Jewish schools); Arabic (Arab
schools). Arabic is an optional language in Jewish schools, while Hebrew
is taught in Arab school from the 4th grade.
• According to their worldview, different sectors attend different schools,
resulted in little contact among the sectors.
• In 1984 the first integrated schools which had both Jewish and Arab
students in a classroom were built by Neve Shalom, a cooperative village.
• As of 2010, there were five integrated schools in Israel in total.

16. Higher Education I
•Higher Education plays a pivotal role in the economic and
social development of the country.
•Before 1948, Technion/Israel Institute of Technology (1924)
& the Hebrew University (1925).
•In 1948, enrollment at the two universities: about 1,600.
•Currently, there are nine universities and numerous colleges.
•In 2009-2010, 280,000 students attended the higher
institutions (38% university, 41% college, 21% Open University).

17. Higher Education II
•The Council for Higher Education awards accreditation,
degrees, advising the government on development, financing
& scientific research.
•Until the early 1960s, the goal of higher education mainly to
acquire knowledge, since then more career-oriented.
•At present, over half of the 20-24 age Israelites are enrolled
in one of the country's institutions of higher education.

18. Issues Arab Sector Faced I
• The Jewish education system gets more resources, and drop-out rate for
Israeli-Arab students is 12%; that of Jewish students ( 6%).
• In 1999 in attempt to close the gap between Arab and Jewish education
sectors, the education minister announced an affirmative action policy,
promising that Arabs would be granted 25% of the education budget.
• In 2001 a report stated that Arab schools have fewer teachers, inadequate
school construction, and lack of libraries and recreational space.
• In 2007 the Ministry announced a five-year plan to close the gaps and
raise the number of students eligible for high school matriculation.

19. Issues Arab Sector Faced II
•In 2009 a report showed that over 5000 Arab students moved to
Jordan for higher education.
•In 2010 number of teachers rose: computer (50%), technology
(165%), mathematics (171%), physics (25%), chemistry (44%)
biology (81.7%).
•In 2012 report showed that a shortage of 6,100 classrooms 4,000
teachers.
•Israel was amongst the top-ranked nations in the world for
science and mathematics in the 1960s, but dropped to 33 out of
41 nations in the 2002 survey.

20. Matriculation Exams (Bagrut)
• In 2006/7, 74.4% of Israeli 12th graders took the Bagrut exams,
but 46.3% were eligible for a matriculation certificate. In the Arab
and Druze sectors: 35.6% and 43.7% respectively.
• Christian Arabs tend to have had the highest rates of success in
the bagrut exams, in the entire education system.
• In 2014, students from Orthodox schools (22%) take bagrut tests.
• Bagrut certificate and its scores often determine acceptance into
elite military units, academic institutions, and job prospects.
• After secondary education, students are generally conscripted into
the Israel Defense Forces.

21. References & Resources
• Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/aboutisrael/education/pages/education-
%20primary%20and%20secondary.aspx (retrieved Oct. 29, 2015)
• PDF] The Education System of Israel – AACRAO
http://handouts.aacrao.org/am08/finished/T1100a_T_Schumacher.pdf (retrieved Nov. 03, 2015)
• List of Israeli universities and colleges
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Israeli_universities_and_colleges (retrieved Nov.13, 2015)
• 국가 수준 교육과정 국제(이스라엘) 비교 연구Ⅱ. 연구책임자 : 정 선 영 (국민대학교). Ministry of Education
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Education_(Israel) (retrieved Nov 24, 2015)
• http://data.worldbank.org/topic/education (retrieved Nov 24, 2015)
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2103.html (retrieved 11/24/15)
• PECD Country Note (retrieved 23 Nov. 2015)
http://www.oecd.org/edu/Israel_EAG2013%20Country%20Note.pdf
• The Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (retrieved 23 Nov. 2015)
http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/cw_usr_view_Folder?ID=141
• [PDF] Source: OECD (2015), Education at a Glance Interim Report
http://www.oecd.org/edu/EAG-Interim-report.pdf