Israel's Education Minister Cancels National Tests Amidst RAMA Dispute
Translated & summarized from Channel 13 by baba
Israeli Minister of Education Yoav Kisch has canceled the upcoming Mitzav national tests, ordering ministry staff not to cooperate with RAMA, the body responsible for the exams. This decision follows a review by Professor Ami Moyal, which, while criticizing RAMA's data presentation, also supported RAMA's independence and recommended strengthening cooperation. The dispute intensified after low student achievement scores were reported, with Kisch claiming the data was misleading. Moyal's report suggested RAMA should independently publish data, while the ministry could interpret it, and called for formal work procedures.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Education Minister Yoav Kisch canceled the Mitzav national tests and ordered non-cooperation with RAMA.
- The decision follows a review by Professor Ami Moyal that recommended strengthening cooperation.
- Kisch's move comes after low student achievement scores were reported in the "Tnu'fa" test format.
- Moyal's report criticized RAMA's data presentation but supported its professional independence.
- The dispute highlights tensions over data publication authority and interpretation.
- The cancellation creates disruption in the education system before upcoming elections.
Israel's Minister of Education, Yoav Kisch, has decided to cancel the upcoming "Mitzav" national tests for the current school year, citing a lack of cooperation with RAMA, the National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation. The decision was announced by Ministry Director General Meir Shimoni during a heated meeting.
This move comes despite a recent review by Professor Ami Moyal, commissioned by Kisch himself. Moyal's report recommended strengthening cooperation and ensuring continuity in measurement methods, and affirmed RAMA's professional standing. However, Kisch has instructed ministry staff to cease working with RAMA and has reportedly refused to meet with its Director General, Gal Alon, while allegedly engaging in disparaging remarks behind his back.
The dispute escalated following the release of the "Tnu'fa" test results, a new format for the Mitzav exams, which showed significantly low student achievement. Kisch had contested the data presentation, claiming it was misleading. Moyal's report supported this criticism, finding RAMA's definition of "meeting curriculum requirements" problematic as it only recognized the highest performance level. However, the report also stated that the established measurement method should not be retroactively altered.
Moyal's review also addressed the authority for publishing student results, recommending RAMA independently compile and release professional data without intervention or censorship, while allowing the Ministry of Education to interpret and present its policies based on the findings. The report criticized significant delays between test administration and result publication, urging mandatory timelines for timely pedagogical adjustments.
Ultimately, Moyal's report did not grant a clear victory to either side. It validated the Ministry of Education's professional critique of data presentation while fully backing RAMA's independence. The report also highlighted the need for formal work mechanisms, moving away from verbal agreements and WhatsApp messages, and recommended establishing an independent national council for educational assessment policy. Kisch's decision to cancel the tests, however, appears to create significant disruption in the education system shortly before elections, potentially to avoid confronting the difficult results.
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