Israeli Students Lose Over a Year of Schooling Amid Pandemic and Ongoing Conflicts

Israeli students finishing sixth grade today have endured significant disruptions throughout their education, starting from the first COVID-19 lockdown in kindergarten through ongoing conflicts during their primary school years. Similarly, twelfth graders recently completed their studies after facing school closures and remote learning since seventh grade, with many taking their matriculation exams amid continuous warfare. This prolonged instability has made routine schooling nearly impossible, with students uncertain whether classes will occur from one day to the next.

A conservative calculator developed by Oshri Tubi from Hamad Academic College estimates that twelfth graders in northern Israel lost about 200 school days, equivalent to a full academic year, while those in the Gaza envelope lost up to 318 days, or a year and a half. Sixth graders in the north lost 138 days, and those near Gaza lost 236 days, compared to roughly 100 days lost in central Israel. These losses have likely impaired literacy, math, and English skills, especially in peripheral regions affected by both the pandemic and conflict. The OECD estimates that losing a year of schooling can reduce lifetime earnings by 10%, though the losses in Israel are spread over seven years and include partial remote learning periods.

Efforts to recover lost school days face challenges, including resistance from teachers' unions against extending school years or shortening summer breaks. Education Minister Yoav Kisch has struggled to enforce makeup days, with legal and labor disputes complicating the issue. Meanwhile, Kisch has also delayed publishing poor results from national science assessments, which showed only 3% of students meeting required standards, and has downplayed declines in international math and science rankings.

Concerns extend to the quality of matriculation exams, which have been increasingly diluted through exemptions and internal grading, especially in high-level STEM subjects. The State Comptroller revealed that over half of twelfth graders received extended exam times, often granted by their own schools, leading to inconsistent standards. Additionally, a recent OECD report highlighted that 22% of Israeli post-secondary students have literacy and numeracy skills comparable to elementary school graduates, far above the OECD average.

Despite these challenges, some progress has been made in integrating core curriculum studies into ultra-Orthodox schools following a Supreme Court petition. However, civic education remains neglected, raising concerns about the future of democratic values in Israeli society. Michal Sela, head of Givat Haviva, warns that ongoing societal divisions and mistrust between Jewish and Arab citizens threaten social cohesion, emphasizing the need to build trust and reduce stigmas, goals unlikely to be advanced under the current education leadership.

Summary: Israeli students have lost more than a full year of schooling due to COVID-19 and ongoing conflicts, with significant regional disparities and declining educational outcomes. Efforts to recover lost time face union resistance, while assessments reveal worsening academic performance and skill gaps. Some curricular reforms are underway, but broader societal challenges persist.

Points: 1. Israeli students lost up to 318 school days due to COVID-19 and conflicts, especially near Gaza. 2. Learning disruptions have worsened educational gaps, particularly in peripheral regions. 3. Education Minister Yoav Kisch delayed publishing poor national science test results. 4. Matriculation exams have been weakened by exemptions and inconsistent grading. 5. OECD data shows 22% of Israeli post-secondary students have elementary-level skills. 6. Civic education is neglected amid societal divisions, threatening democratic values.

Topic: education

Entities: {"people":["Oshri Tubi","Yoav Kisch","Michal Sela","Metanyahu Engelman"],"organizations":["OECD","Hamad Academic College","Givat Haviva","State Comptroller"],"places":["Israel","Gaza","Northern Israel","Central Israel"]}