Education Minister's Calendar Reveals Focus on Haredi and West Bank Sectors
Recent PISA test results show a significant decline in Israeli students' performance in math, reading, and science, with scores hitting historic lows since Israel began participating in 2006. Despite the grim findings, Education Minister Yoav Kisch stated the results demonstrated the education system's resilience amidst the ongoing war and learning disruptions. However, an analysis of Kisch's official calendar, obtained through freedom of information requests, suggests a different picture of his priorities.
The calendar, covering January 2023 to March 2025 and containing over 4,500 entries, reveals Kisch dedicated substantial personal attention to the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) education sector and settlements in Judea and Samaria (West Bank). The analysis identified 63 entries concerning Haredi education, including efforts to secure funding for exempt institutions under the "Ofek Hadash" (New Horizon) reform. Additionally, at least 68 entries specifically mentioned locations and institutions in Judea and Samaria, such as Ariel, Ma'ale Adumim, and Gush Etzion.
In contrast, the calendar contained no entries explicitly addressing "secular education," "secular-religious identity," or "religious freedom," nor did it mention organizations representing secular viewpoints. While Kisch's general duties encompass the entire education system, the calendar indicates a disproportionate focus on specific sectors. For instance, the "Ofek Hadash" reform's integration into Haredi educational networks involved numerous meetings, including discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset members Moshe Gafni and Aryeh Deri.
The analysis also highlighted Kisch's extensive engagement with academic institutions, particularly the University of Ariel in the West Bank, which received a comprehensive visit including meetings with the mayor, student union, and university administration. This level of focused attention was not mirrored in interactions with other major Israeli universities like Ben-Gurion University of the Negev or the Technion, which had minimal or no documented direct engagement with the minister during this period.
The findings raise questions about whether the minister's personal focus on sectors aligned with the current coalition's priorities adequately addressed the needs of the broader, secular state education system, which constitutes about 43% of Israeli students. The PISA results, while not directly causally linked in the analysis, serve as a backdrop to this examination of the minister's time and attention.
