Educators Must Foster "Valuableness" Before Teaching Values
A prominent educator argues that Israel's educational system, particularly its state and liberal streams, has long suffered from inherent weaknesses that have been exacerbated by recent crises, including the "regime overhaul" and the ongoing war. These weaknesses, he contends, have led many young Israelis, including soldiers, to embrace racist, messianic, and brutal ideas against Palestinians and to disrespect those with differing opinions. The author cites a documented 322 incidents related to the government's "war on Israeli democracy" as evidence of this trend.
To counter this, the upcoming 2026-2027 school year requires a significant, planned increase in education focused on humanistic, democratic, Zionist, and Jewish values. However, the author identifies a critical flaw in current approaches: values are often taught as abstract facts, akin to geography lessons, rather than as concepts requiring critical engagement. This method, he warns, can lead to values being internalized as rigid doctrines or slogans that fail under real-world scrutiny.
The core issue, according to the author, is the lack of "valuableness", the ability to grasp, interpret, critique, and choose among abstract value concepts. This meta-skill, he asserts, is a prerequisite for effectively teaching specific values like equality, freedom, justice, and loyalty. Without it, values become hollow.
He emphasizes that true education in values involves not just imparting knowledge but fostering a continuous, rational process of examining the reasoning, emotions, and beliefs associated with each value. This requires teachers to possess deep historical knowledge, courage, the ability to facilitate open and respectful classroom dialogue, and the skill to guide students in rational discussions about value conflicts, such as the tension between equality and liberty, or the "Jewish" and "democratic" aspects of Israel.
The author, Professor Yeshayahu Tadmor, a former head of the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa and Levinsky College, advocates for a liberal, humanistic, and democratic educational approach.
