Israel's Education System Needs Better Teachers, Not Just More
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's education system lacks quality teachers, not just numbers.
- Low teacher salaries and training standards contribute to poor educational outcomes.
- Reforms should focus on differential pay and higher admission standards for teachers.
- Budgetary reallocation and longer school days are also proposed solutions.
- Teacher quality directly impacts student achievement and national productivity.
While the Israeli education system faces a shortage of teachers, the core issue is a lack of quality educators, according to Zvi Stepek, co-founder and owner of Meitav Investment House. Despite a substantial education budget, second only to defense and high relative to other OECD countries, student achievement remains poor. Stepek attributes this to several factors, including misallocated funds, excessive bureaucracy, an overabundance of unnecessary supervisory staff, insufficient autonomy for principals, frequent changes in ministerial agendas, and difficulties in dismissing underperforming teachers. Consequently, per-student spending is about 30% lower than the OECD average.
The primary problem, Stepek argues, is the low quality of teachers, stemming from inadequate starting salaries of approximately 9,000 shekels gross per month for a demanding job. This leads to the hiring of individuals lacking the necessary skills and professionalism, with many teachers exhibiting concerningly low general knowledge. A good teacher, he defines, possesses extensive knowledge, effective teaching methods, a blend of passion and adequate compensation, genuine care for students, and serves as a positive role model.
Stepek emphasizes that both medicine and education have the potential for irreversible harm or benefit, likening a poor teacher to a bad doctor who can derail a student's life. He proposes a shift away from investing in reducing class sizes or hiring large numbers of new teachers. Instead, the focus should be on "differential" approaches: dramatically raising admission standards for teacher training programs, assessing teaching potential beyond mere knowledge, and implementing differential salaries based on teacher excellence, not seniority.
He suggests prioritizing fewer, excellent teachers over a larger number of mediocre ones, even if it means larger class sizes. School budgets should also be allocated differentially, with more resources directed to weaker areas and the periphery. Additionally, implementing a longer school day, excluding Fridays, would benefit working parents and enhance student engagement. Stepek believes the necessary funds are available within the current education budget, which he describes as inefficiently managed, and that these reforms are crucial to breaking a cycle of low teacher quality leading to low student achievement, reduced workforce skills, and ultimately, a lower standard of living for most Israelis.
