The article argues that Israel's education system fails because it is a government monopoly with too little competition, too much centralization and too few incentives to improve. It says privatizing schools, expanding parental choice and giving principals more authority would raise teaching quality and student outcomes.
The writer rejects the idea that only state-run schooling can ensure equality or core skills. Instead, the article points to vouchers as a proven alternative, and says support and tax benefits could be tied to parents ensuring their children study basic subjects such as mathematics, languages and science. It notes that even now the state funds many schools that do not teach core studies.
The column also says the current system is too uniform for different students and communities, leaving many children bored or underserved. It argues that Israel already spends heavily on education, with the Education Ministry's budget the second largest after defense and, before the war, the largest overall, while per-student spending is among the highest. The problem, it says, is not money but bureaucratic waste and slow adaptation, including delays in bringing in projectors, computers, AI and practical fields such as programming and software engineering.
The article warns that state control also politicizes what children learn and lets temporary majorities impose their worldview on minorities and families. It says teachers are paid by rigid seniority and education scales rather than performance, principals lack real autonomy, and collective agreements and tenure block the dismissal of weak teachers. As evidence that incentives can work, it cites Eilat, where all teaching positions are filled because pay has been adapted to local conditions. The piece concludes that the system should be dismantled and privatized.
