Israeli parents are spending hundreds to thousands of shekels on books, software, and courses to improve their children’s odds of being admitted to gifted and excellence programs, even when they believe the child is clearly gifted. Many say preparation is needed both to learn the test format and to “level the playing field” against children who have already trained, while the Education Ministry warns that expensive coaching can deepen inequality. The article says that when free preparation was offered in peripheral areas, the number of identified gifted children rose sharply there.
The ministry currently identifies about 24,000 gifted students in grades 3 to 12. Screening begins in second grade, or third grade in Arab schools, and 15 percent of top-performing students in each class advance to a harder second stage. Of those, the top 3 percent are classified as gifted and the next 5 percent as excellent, with placements in 63 enrichment centers, 58 schools, specialized classes, and programs such as Amirim, Nakhshon, Academy in High School, and Future Scientists.
Parents quoted in the report said they bought preparation packages ranging from a few hundred shekels to more than 1,000 or even 2,500 shekels, because the tests are unfamiliar, timed, and stressful for 8-year-olds. The ministry said it does not encourage private prep courses, supports only basic familiarization with the test, and offers free practice materials. Experts and providers agreed that preparation cannot create giftedness, but can help children with real potential show what they can do.
The article highlights major gains in southern cities that offered free or subsidized preparation. In Sderot, 192 pupils took the test in 2020 to 2021 and 33 were identified as gifted; the next year 142 tested and 23 were identified, and about 25 have been identified annually since. In Ofakim, the city says it now has more than 200 excellent students and nearly 90 gifted students, compared with only three gifted pupils a few years ago. Results for this year’s tests are due next month.
