New Survey Reveals Student Discontent with Israeli Education System

A recent survey presented at the Edunation 2026 International Education Conference in Jerusalem indicates significant dissatisfaction among Israeli students regarding their education's preparedness for the future. The poll found that 87% of students believe the education system is not adequately preparing them for what lies ahead, a stark contrast to the more positive views held by educators. The survey, conducted by Kantar and initiated by the Jerusalem Municipality, explored student, parent, and teacher perspectives on critical issues including workforce readiness, artificial intelligence, social media impact, and teacher-student relations.

A notable finding concerns the perceived role of AI in education, with approximately 80% of students anticipating AI will replace teachers in the future, a sentiment shared by less than half of the teaching staff. Furthermore, over 75% of students feel the education system is unprepared for the AI revolution, while 40% of teachers believe it has already adapted. A significant gender gap emerged, with 54% of male teachers believing the system is ready for AI, compared to only 34% of female teachers.

Content creator Nas Daily, speaking at the conference, advocated for integrating technology, stating, "AI is the solution to most problems in the education system and the way to capture students' attention and help every student learn in a way that suits them." The survey also highlighted parental priorities, with 86% of parents desiring financial literacy and economics education for their children. While 60% of parents supported adding technology studies, only about half of students and 45% of teachers agreed. Interestingly, students showed more interest (43%) in security, cyber, and intelligence studies than parents (23%) or teachers (19%).

Regarding student-teacher dynamics, 57% of students admitted they do not respect their teachers, a view echoed by 54% of teachers and 53% of parents. A similar sentiment was found regarding parent-teacher respect, with 54% of teachers feeling respected by parents, while only 51% of parents felt they showed teachers respect. Additionally, about 80% of students and parents are dissatisfied with the education system's handling of social media's influence, compared to 40% of teachers who believe the system is doing enough.

Despite widespread criticism, 90% of all respondents agreed that education's role extends beyond academics to providing a safe emotional and psychological space. The survey also revealed a significant gender disparity among teachers: 72% of male teachers are satisfied with public education, versus only 50% of female teachers. This gap extended to perceptions of student respect, with 65% of male teachers feeling respected by students, compared to 38% of female teachers. Overall satisfaction among students was low, with only about one-third reporting satisfaction with the education system, a sentiment significantly higher among educators. The survey included 607 participants: 201 teenagers (14-17), 204 parents, and 202 teachers and principals, with a reported margin of error of approximately 4.1%.