New Study Finds Israeli Teachers Rank Low in Basic Skills Among Developed Countries
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
A Shoresh Institution study ranks Israeli teachers 16th out of 19 OECD countries in basic skills, revealing significant gaps especially among male academics and early childhood educators. The findings call for reforms in teacher training and targeted investments in Arab and early childhood education sectors.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israeli teachers rank 16th out of 19 OECD countries in literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills.
- Male academically educated teachers in Israel score 7.3% lower than other Israeli academics, unlike OECD trends.
- Teachers with science and technology backgrounds show significant skill deficits compared to peers in other fields.
- Arab education and early childhood teachers have the lowest skill levels within Israel.
- Only 78% of Israeli teachers hold academic degrees, below the OECD average of 84%.
- Shoresh president calls for revising teacher training admissions and investing in weaker sectors like Arab and early childhood education.
A recent study by the Shoresh Institution reveals that Israeli teachers have some of the lowest basic skill levels among 19 OECD countries surveyed. Conducted by Dr. Yael Meltzer between 2022 and 2023 using the international PIAAC skills survey, the research assessed literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving abilities. Israel ranked 16th out of 19, with only Italy, Latvia, and Poland scoring lower.
The study highlights significant skill gaps, especially among academically educated male teachers in Israel, whose scores were 7.3% lower than other Israeli academics and contrasted with OECD countries where teachers generally score higher than other professionals. Female teachers in Israel also lagged behind their academic peers by 2.6%. Teachers with secondary education scored higher than other workers with similar education.
Notably, teachers with academic backgrounds in science and technology showed large deficits compared to similarly educated professionals in other fields, with gaps of 14.4% in literacy, 10.3% in numeracy, and 15.9% in problem-solving. Israel also has a lower proportion of academically qualified teachers (78%) compared to the OECD average (84%), and fewer hold advanced degrees.
Within Israel, disparities are stark: Arab education teachers scored lowest (228 average), followed by ultra-Orthodox (261), secular state education (268), and state-religious education (271), compared to the OECD average of 281. Early childhood educators scored about 10% lower than upper secondary teachers, raising concerns given the critical importance of early years for cognitive and emotional development.
The study also found that Jewish university-educated teachers scored 6.2% lower than other similarly educated workers, while ultra-Orthodox teachers from yeshivas scored higher than their peers. The Shoresh president, Prof. Dan Ben-David, called for revising teacher training admissions, emphasizing actual skills, and suggested a pathway where candidates first earn a university degree in their subject before teacher training. He also urged targeted investment in Arab education and early childhood sectors to close these gaps.
Limor Markenzon Segal, head of education in Ramat Gan, described the findings as a wake-up call, stressing the need to treat teaching as a strategic profession with proper conditions, status, professional development, and compensation to attract top talent.
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