Israeli Teachers Rank Among Lowest in Developed Countries in Skills Assessment

A recent study by Dr. Yael Meltzer from the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research reveals that Israeli teachers possess significantly lower skills compared to their OECD counterparts. Based on the 2022-2023 PIAAC international skills survey, Israeli teachers ranked 16th out of 19 countries, even below Chile. The study highlights that only 78% of Israeli teachers hold academic degrees, compared to 84% in OECD countries, and just 37% have master's degrees versus 49% in the OECD.

The research also found that Israeli teachers' skills lag behind other academics with similar education, especially in mathematics and science. Male teachers scored 7.3% lower than other male academics in Israel, while female teachers scored 2.6% lower, contrasting with slight positive gaps in the OECD. The deficits are most pronounced in STEM fields, with Israeli teachers scoring 14.4% lower in reading, 10.3% lower in math, and 15.9% lower in problem-solving compared to similarly educated professionals.

The study further exposes large disparities within Israel's education streams. Teachers in Arab education scored an average of 228, significantly below those in Haredi (261), state (268), and state-religious (271) education, all below the OECD average of 281. Jewish university-educated teachers scored 3.8% to 6.2% lower than other similarly educated workers, while college-educated teachers had smaller gaps.

Professor Dan Ben-David, president of Shoresh, emphasized that Israel struggles to attract and retain highly skilled academics as teachers. He called for reforms in teacher recruitment, training, and compensation, including raising admission standards, prioritizing actual skills, and requiring prospective teachers to first earn a university degree in their subject before pedagogical training. He also stressed targeted investment in Arab and early childhood education to address particularly low skill levels. Without these changes, narrowing the gap with leading OECD countries and improving teaching quality in Israel will remain challenging.