Israel's Education Ministry Releases Troubling Test Scores Amidst Political Filings

Israel's Ministry of Education unexpectedly released the results of national assessments on Tuesday, a move that comes after previous attempts to withhold the data. The scores, which had been leaked in May, reveal significant concerns regarding student performance. Only 3% of ninth graders met the national curriculum requirements in science, with an additional 16% falling short. In mathematics, 37% of sixth graders met the curriculum standards, while 26% met them partially. The results also indicated that only 20% of students in Arabic-speaking schools met basic Hebrew proficiency requirements last year.

These revelations follow the recent publication of PISA test results, which showed a sharp decline in Israeli students' performance in reading, mathematics, and science, falling below international averages. The timing of the Ministry's announcement may be strategic, releasing further concerning data when public attention is already focused on the unsatisfactory PISA scores, potentially minimizing the impact of the new findings.

In parallel, political parties are finalizing their Knesset lists ahead of the upcoming elections. The Haredi party United Torah Judaism submitted its list, comprising Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael, aiming to retain its seven mandates. The Religious Zionism party, in alliance with the 'Identity' party, also submitted its list, with key placements for party leader Bezalel Smotrich and other prominent figures. The 'Identity' party secured the second, eighth, and tenth spots on the joint list.

Separately, the Supreme Court rejected petitions for a rehearing concerning former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi. The court's prior ruling upheld the Justice Ministry's legal advisor's opinion, allowing the State Attorney to make decisions in the case post-investigation. A previous stay of proceedings is now lifted, enabling the State Attorney to proceed with decisions on indictments.