Bennett pitches educational reform ahead of election, standardized curriculum

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has introduced a significant educational reform proposal, dubbed "From Tribes to a People," aimed at establishing a unified national curriculum for all students in Israel. Unveiled at the Israel Democracy Institute's conference, the plan outlines a vision for a shared educational foundation intended to foster a common civic and cultural identity.

Under Bennett's proposal, all students would engage with a standardized curriculum encompassing essential subjects like Hebrew, English, mathematics, and civics. Crucially, it also includes the study of Torah and Jewish and Zionist traditions. Bennett specified that Muslim students would have the option to study the Quran instead of the Torah, ensuring religious accommodation within the framework.

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I am proud to unveil before you the most important plan that we will implement in my government: the ‘From Tribes to a People’ plan, to establish one state (public) education system for all the children of Israel.

Bennett explained the proposal would operate on a 60-40 model. Sixty percent of the curriculum would consist of shared subjects studied by everyone, while the remaining 40 percent would allow individual communities greater autonomy to expand according to their specific wishes. He emphasized that this initiative goes beyond merely equipping students with academic tools like math and English; it aims to instill the values necessary for participation in a Jewish and democratic state.

The former prime minister, who currently leads the "Together" political alliance with Yair Lapid ahead of the upcoming elections, presented this plan as a cornerstone of his future government's agenda. The proposal seeks to move beyond fragmented educational approaches and create a cohesive national identity through a shared learning experience.

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For all these years, we said, ‘Let them study mathematics and English.’ No, that is not enough. They need to receive both the tools and the values to be part of a Jewish and democratic state.