Ultra-Orthodox Education Network Agrees to Participate in National and International Assessments
For the first time, the Independent Education Network of Agudat Yisrael has agreed to participate in national and international assessment tests in the coming school year. This decision follows three years of negotiations and includes cultural adaptations of the tests for ultra-Orthodox students. Unlike the usual computer-based international tests, the network agreed only to paper-based exams at this stage. This move aligns Agudat Yisrael’s network with the Shas-affiliated Bnei Yosef network, which has been undergoing a similar process for several years.
The agreement comes amid intense pressure from the Ministry of Finance and the Government Legal Counsel, following a series of petitions to the High Court of Justice by the NGO Hiddush for Freedom of Religion and Equality. These petitions demand that ultra-Orthodox educational institutions comply fully with the core curriculum requirements as a condition for continued equal funding compared to state education.
Government Legal Counsel Gali Baharav-Miara reported to the High Court on Friday that full funding for these networks will be contingent on full compliance with the core curriculum starting this school year. This includes teaching the full core curriculum according to a unified program, employing qualified teaching staff, full participation in national and international assessments, cooperation with supervision and enforcement mechanisms, and fulfilling reporting obligations.
Baharav-Miara emphasized that it is unacceptable to continue fully funding networks that ignore significant state requirements. She noted that some institutions failed to teach essential subjects like English and mathematics across entire age groups, yet were still classified as teaching over 95% of the core curriculum and funded accordingly. This misclassification masked substantial gaps in curriculum coverage and quality. The legal counsel also highlighted a dispute with Education Minister Yoav Kisch, who opposed a unified core curriculum and mandatory full coverage, leading her to approve his request for separate legal representation in the matter.
