Education Ministry Accused of Systematically Hiding Failing School Data
A leaked letter from the Director-General of the National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation in Education (RAMA), Gal Alon, accuses Education Minister Yoav Kisch of a systematic policy to distort and conceal the failures of the Israeli education system. The document alleges that Kisch ordered the cancellation of a national test on 21st-century skills, prohibited surveys on the condition of students during the October 7th war, and attempted to manipulate results from international tests like PISA and TIMSS.
According to Alon, Kisch's actions stemmed from RAMA's insistence on publishing national and international test results that showed significant failures, such as only 3% of students meeting expected science standards in the "Tnuafa" tests. When RAMA prepared to release these findings, Kisch allegedly attempted to dismiss Alon and establish an internal ministry unit to measure its own achievements. The letter details Kisch's order to shelve a new national test on critical thinking, creativity, and digital literacy, which had two years of development and cost NIS 4 million.
Further accusations include Kisch's directive to halt RAMA's bi-weekly surveys tracking student, parent, and teacher well-being during the war, which Alon claims "completely paralyzed RAMA's ability to provide aggregate data on the condition of Israeli students." Kisch reportedly responded that it was "not the time for questionnaires" due to sensitivity. The letter also claims Kisch ordered RAMA not to publish the "Tnuafa" science test results and that the Ministry's Director-General, Meir Shimoni, suggested merging categories to falsely claim students met requirements, which Alon argued would negate the need for an independent evaluation authority.
Alon also revealed suspicions that NIS 900,000 from the "Swords of Iron" rehabilitation funds were directed towards preparing 110 schools for the PISA 2025 test, a practice forbidden by the OECD. While the Ministry's internal auditor confirmed preparatory actions, Kisch reportedly halted them after RAMA warned of the consequences. However, Alon claims Kisch himself authorized the budget allocation. The letter further alleges Kisch attempted to alter and falsify findings from the TIMSS 2023 test for eighth graders in math and science, deleting data showing a decline in achievements and attributing it to COVID-19 without basis.
Additionally, the letter describes attempts by the Ministry's innovation department, led by Me'irav Zerubavel, to skew TIMSS results by allowing schools to define a maximum number of "sick" students on test day, thereby excluding weaker students. Zerubavel also allegedly insisted the Ministry's chief scientist evaluate the program, a conflict of interest. A more serious accusation is the attempt to establish an internal measurement unit within the Ministry, which Alon warned could lead to biased data and harm the education system. In response to RAMA's insistence on publishing negative "Tnuafa" results, Kisch allegedly instructed his Director-General to "sever ties with RAMA and exclude it from Ministry discussions."
The Education Ministry's spokesperson denied the allegations, calling the letter a "political and false leak" by RAMA to divert attention from an ongoing review of its own conduct. The Ministry stated that claims of manipulating international test results are baseless and that any actions deemed non-compliant with rules were halted by the Minister. They added that internal reviews found no grounds for the accusations and that these claims only emerged after an external review of RAMA's conduct began.
