Israeli Education Ministry Reports Gains in Matriculation Exams Amidst War
Translated & summarized from Panet by baba
Israel's Ministry of Education reported an increase in matriculation exam pass rates to 77.9% for the 2024-2025 academic year, alongside a 31% reduction in socioeconomic gaps over five years. These gains were achieved despite the ongoing war. The ministry also highlighted increased funding for peripheral and disadvantaged students and near-equal per-student costs in primary education between Arab and Jewish sectors. Minister Yoav Kisch praised the resilience of students and educators.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Bagrut eligibility rose to 77.9% in 2024-2025, with 18,743 students achieving excellence.
- Socioeconomic gaps in Bagrut eligibility narrowed by 31% over the past five years.
- Bagrut rates increased in Haredi, Arab, Druze, and Bedouin communities.
- Peripheral and disadvantaged students received increased funding allocations.
- Student attendance improved to 83.5%, while dropout rates decreased to 0.8%.
- Minister Yoav Kisch lauded student and educator resilience amidst wartime challenges.
Israel's Ministry of Education has released data for the 2024-2025 academic year, highlighting an increase in matriculation certificate (Bagrut) eligibility rates and excellence indicators, alongside a reduction in socioeconomic gaps and improved attendance. These achievements were noted despite the ongoing war.
The data indicates that 77.9% of 12th-grade students earned their Bagrut certificates in 2024-2025, an increase from 76.6% in the previous year and 73.4% in 2019-2020. The number of students achieving distinction or excellence also rose by over 2,200 to 18,743. Significant progress was reported in closing socioeconomic gaps, with the disparity in Bagrut eligibility between strong and weak socioeconomic groups narrowing by 5.5 percentage points over five years, a reduction of approximately 31%.
Improvements were also observed across various sectors. Bagrut eligibility in the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) sector increased to 27.6%, while in the Arab community, it rose to 83.9%. The Druze and Bedouin communities also saw increases, with eligibility rates reaching 92.6% and 73.7% respectively. The ministry also noted a narrowing of the gender gap in Bagrut eligibility, with boys now having a slight advantage.
Budgetary transparency data shows a continued preference for allocating resources to peripheral areas and disadvantaged socioeconomic groups. Students in peripheral areas receive, on average, 17% more funding than those in central Israel, and students from the weakest socioeconomic quintile receive about 27% more funding than those from the strongest. The ministry also reported near-equal average per-student costs between the Arab and Jewish sectors in primary education, with a significant increase in per-student costs in the Arab sector at the secondary level over the past five years.
Minister of Education Yoav Kisch stated that the data presents a comprehensive picture of the education system, acknowledging both achievements and ongoing challenges. He praised the resilience of students, educators, and staff who continued to teach and learn despite the difficult circumstances, calling the current generation "the victory generation" of Israel and emphasizing the responsibility to foster their potential and reduce gaps.
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