Nearly 70,000 middle school students from across Israel have enrolled this summer in “Israel Realistic,” the Education Ministry’s expanded summer school program for grades 7 to 9, which focuses on science, technology and artificial intelligence. Education Minister Yoav Kish announced the figures Thursday at a special press conference on preparations for the summer break and the new program.
According to ministry data, about 57,000 of the registrants come from the northern, Haifa and southern districts, and more than 42,000 are residents of northern and southern communities alone. The ministry said it sees the uptake as a major success, especially given the damage to the education system in those areas since the war began. Kish said, “We are still focused on responding to gaps and reducing disparities,” adding that “some places need much greater support, and our goal is to be an enabling factor.” He said the program was built quickly, in about a month, with cooperation from local authorities, schools and industry.
The program includes eight days of activity for middle school students, four of them devoted to AI studies, one professional tour day, and three days of reinforcement in STEM subjects, science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The ministry said it assembled 239 different activities and 127 partners, including high-tech companies, public bodies and nonprofits, with workshops, competitions, hackathons and meetings with senior figures from the tech sector.
Kish acknowledged that not all local authorities were ready in time. He said some municipalities did not manage to organize the first days and that the ministry would work to avoid losing activity days, including by allowing several days of flexibility in scheduling. He also said he would seek funding for the program next year as well, arguing that if it proves it can work and narrow gaps, it should become a permanent part of Israel’s education system. The ministry said response was weaker in the central, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem districts than in the north and south.
