Education Minister Yoav Kisch Criticized for Transparency Failures
Translated & summarized from Shakuf by baba
Israel's Education Minister Yoav Kisch faced criticism for a significant increase in processing times for freedom of information requests, alongside an alleged attempt to suppress unfavorable national test results. While the ministry now fulfills more requests, the delays have lengthened considerably, and the attempt to withhold exam data was only reversed after the Attorney General intervened.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Education Minister Kisch's ministry increased fulfilled information requests but with significant delays.
- An attempt to suppress national test results showing poor student performance was reportedly made.
- The Attorney General ordered the release of the suppressed test data.
- Processing times for information requests have more than doubled.
- RAMA's CEO stated withholding data hinders public understanding and school improvement.
During Education Minister Yoav Kisch's tenure, the Ministry of Education has seen a significant increase in the number of freedom of information requests fulfilled, despite a 55% rise in submissions between 2022 and 2024. While the ministry now provides information in 96% of requests, up from 58% in 2022, the time taken to process these requests has dramatically increased. In 2024, only 51% of requests were processed within 30 days, a sharp decline from 74% in 2022, with over a third taking longer than two months and 11% exceeding four months.
Adding to concerns about transparency, Minister Kisch reportedly attempted to prevent the publication of national test results from the National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation in Education (RAMA). In May 2026, Kisch allegedly instructed RAMA not to share findings from national exams in English and mathematics for sixth graders, and science exams for ninth graders, after being dissatisfied with the results. These results indicated that only 3% of students reached a high level in English and math, with 81% not even close to the required standard.
RAMA's CEO, Gal Alon, argued that withholding the data prevented the authority from fulfilling its mission to inform the public about the education system and hindered schools from learning from the results. Following a three-month delay, the Attorney General ordered the publication of the data. Alon announced his intention to release the results on September 6, asserting that government regulations do not permit the minister or RAMA to conceal assessment findings from the public.
The Ministry of Education claimed the delay was due to concerns about serious deficiencies in RAMA's work and "misleading publications." However, Alon stated that previous investigations initiated by Kisch found no basis for these claims. Ultimately, the Attorney General's intervention led to the data's release, highlighting a significant transparency issue during Kisch's term, particularly when information is unfavorable.
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