Israel's education system is failing its kids - editorial

The Jerusalem Post's editorial board expresses deep concern over the state of Israel's education system, particularly in light of recent assessment data. The data, released by the National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation in Education (RAMA), paints a grim picture, with a mere 3% of ninth-grade students achieving a high standard in science and significant underperformance in math and English.

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Israel’s education minister appears to have found a political response to a national schooling crisis: Challenge the data and the body that produced it before the public can fully reckon with the depth of the failure.

Instead of confronting these alarming results, Education Minister Yoav Kisch has reportedly chosen to attack the messenger, questioning RAMA's methodology and publications. This response is seen as a political maneuver to deflect from the real issues: the learning losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing impact of the war, and the persistent problems of overcrowded classrooms and a lack of seriousness in teaching core subjects.

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According to reports, only 3% of ninth-grade students who took Israel’s national science assessment reached the high standard set by the Education Ministry. More than half were reportedly at a low or medium-low level.

The editorial argues that such a response is unacceptable for a nation that prides itself on being a "Western democracy," a "Start-Up Nation," and an "advanced economy." A functioning democracy and a modern economy require citizens who are literate, numerate, and capable of critical thinking. By treating a fundamental crisis in education as a public relations problem, Israel risks undermining its own foundations and its aspirations on the regional and global stage. The focus must shift from disputing data to implementing concrete solutions.

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Instead, Education Minister Yoav Kisch has focused his response on the instrument that exposed the crisis.