Israeli Students' PISA Scores Plummet, But Tech Baccalaureate Eligibility Soars

A new data-driven assessment of Education Minister Yoav Kisch's tenure reveals a mixed bag of results for Israel's education system. While national scores on international PISA tests for math, science, and reading have hit historic lows, mirroring a global trend but with a sharper decline in Israel, the percentage of students eligible for a "tech baccalaureate" has reached a four-year high.

The PISA results, conducted by the OECD every three years, showed a significant drop for Israeli students between 2022 and 2025, reaching the lowest point since measurements began. Factors contributing to this decline include the impact of the war, a shortage of quality teachers, and overcrowded classrooms. However, the sharpest drop in Israel was notably more extreme than the OECD average.

Conversely, the number of students qualifying for a "tech baccalaureate", meaning they achieved a 5-unit score in math, English, and either physics or computer science, jumped to 11.6% in the past year. This rise is attributed to long-standing Ministry of Education programs focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, aimed at preparing graduates for the tech industry. The "Israel Realit" (Realistic Israel) emergency program, launched in April 2025 with a budget of approximately 1.5 billion shekels, has seen about 71% of its components in initial or partial implementation, including additional study hours and retraining hundreds of teachers, though transparency gaps remain regarding its long-term systemic impact.

Another significant trend highlighted is the rapid growth of the state-ultra-Orthodox (MM"H) education stream, which integrates ultra-Orthodox life with core curriculum studies under direct Ministry of Education supervision. Student numbers in this stream have surged from just over 4,000 in the 2015-2016 school year to nearly 27,000 in the current year, with an average annual growth rate of 20%, accelerating to 26% during Kisch's tenure. This expansion is attributed to the integration of existing institutions from conservative Hasidic groups and Sephardic-Orthodox communities, alongside the growth of new schools in cities like Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh.

Minister Kisch claims significant investment in promoting core curriculum studies within the ultra-Orthodox community through dialogue and agreement. Experts also credit the ultra-Orthodox district within the Ministry of Education and grassroots activists for overcoming political and bureaucratic obstacles, particularly from local authorities, in facilitating this growth.