Our Problems in Society Begin With a Broken Education System

Ma’ariv, Israel, May 6

For over 20 years, I have been harboring a growing fear about the Israeli education system. It’s not a political concern, and it’s not because I’m particularly critical by nature. It’s a human observation, not necessarily rooted in any expertise, that weighs more and more heavily on my mind as my children grow up. I worry deeply about the children of Israel and the stark divisions between them, which are cemented from a very young age by the four main educational systems in our country: the ultra-Orthodox, state-religious, state nonreligious, and Arab. It’s almost like they are growing up in separate countries, not one sovereign nation, where the Education Ministry would provide a core set of educational and value-based tools for all children, with school administrators free to add, enrich, emphasize, and specify according to their experience and vision. Children from different backgrounds often seem to be studying in separate, homogenous worlds, raising questions about the concept of solidarity that is so widely discussed today. There are some points of contact, but they are few and far between, and don’t form an integral part of the educational system. This has created a growing sense of alienation between the various groups in society. I am also concerned about the fact that classrooms in the country are 21% more overcrowded than the average in developed countries (according to the Education at a Glance report from 2019). It is obvious that in a class of more than 30 students, many will suffer from a lack of attention. The brunt of this is often borne by those from less privileged backgrounds, who do not have the emotional resources to invest in their children. Schools cannot replace the family, but the amount of time children spend within the classroom walls and the attention they receive from teachers has a considerable impact on their academic success and emotional development. Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach famously said, “All a child needs is for one adult to believe in them.” Unfortunately, overcrowded classrooms and a lack of discipline complicate the transfer of knowledge and values. The culture of “let the child be comfortable at all costs” has become prevalent, meaning important concepts such as respect for teachers and classmates or the use of appropriate language are often neglected. It is essential to maintain a culture of zero tolerance toward violence and to ensure that both the educational institution and students adhere to this. Furthermore, there is the issue of teacher salaries. How can teachers be expected to dedicate their lives to educating our future generations without being able to adequately provide for their own families? Low pay for teachers leads to an overall lack of appreciation for their importance and role, which is essential for the present and future of the State of Israel as human capital is the main resource upon which it is built. For years, debates have been devoted to negotiations between various Treasury Ministries and teachers’ unions to raise teachers’ wages, while coalition funds are often recklessly distributed to those who are the loudest. Data shows that teaching staff in Israel earn 5-6% less than their counterparts in OECD countries. The psychometric requirements for teaching studies are surprisingly low, given the importance of the profession, and the lack of adequate strategic planning, coupled with the low salary, leads to a shortage of quality teachers in the system, and a reliance on teachers who are not suited to the world of teaching. The role of government is to secure the future of the State of Israel and its resilience, while also bridging the divides between its citizens. Equality should not be pursued at the expense of any particular religious or nationalistic lifestyle, but instead through frameworks that enable each person to make a meaningful contribution. To this end, familiarizing children with the different sectors of society should be an integral part of their education, and strict discipline in schools should help foster more respectful behavior in the public sphere. Moreover, a significant raise in the salaries of teachers is essential for the nation’s strength. —Former Member of Knesset Ruth Wasserman Lande (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)