Israeli Education Expert Calls for Decentralization and Long-Term Reform Ahead of Elections

The Israeli school year is set to begin just before the upcoming elections, highlighting the deep dysfunction within the education system and the government's apparent indifference. Shirly Rimon-Bracha, a veteran educator and former head of Tel Aviv-Yafo's education administration, describes the system as failing on all fronts with no coherent national education policy. She criticizes the Ministry of Education's overly centralized control, which stifles creativity and autonomy among teachers and principals, creating a "glass ceiling" that suppresses meaningful educational innovation.

Rimon-Bracha explains that the ministry's need for control stems from political power dynamics, with ministers mistakenly believing centralization increases their influence. She advocates for gradual decentralization, transferring real educational management powers, such as emergency decisions, school infrastructure, curriculum extensions, school day length, and class organization, to local authorities. However, she warns against transferring teacher employment to municipalities too quickly, fearing privatization and loss of state responsibility.

The expert also highlights the lack of a long-term, stable education policy that transcends ministerial changes, emphasizing the need for a 10-year strategic plan focused on shared knowledge, values, and skills. She points to growing educational inequalities, especially in early childhood education, where affluent families can afford high-quality preschools while others fall behind. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent conflicts exposed and exacerbated these issues, with remote learning seen as ineffective and trust in the system eroded.

Rimon-Bracha is critical of Education Minister Yoav Kish, accusing him of undermining public trust by favoring ultra-Orthodox education and neglecting the broader public's needs. She stresses the importance of a national, inclusive education system that respects diverse identities and promotes pluralism.

To address these challenges, Rimon-Bracha co-founded the Coalition to Save Public Education, which demands political parties commit to establishing a council for Hebrew public education and decentralizing authority. This council would ensure representation for the public education stream, which serves 46% of Israeli children, and help set long-term policies and budgets. The coalition aims to push education higher on the political agenda ahead of the elections.

Additionally, Rimon-Bracha leads the Next Generation Foundation, which runs programs to prepare youth for military service and leadership, and to foster social cohesion through experiential learning outside the classroom. She warns of a growing value vacuum among Israeli youth, marked by increased racism and lack of understanding of societal complexity, which the formal education system fails to address adequately. Instead, she advocates for experiential, out-of-classroom activities to engage young people in questions of identity, democracy, and coexistence, aiming to strengthen Israeli society's fabric.