Israel Braces for Poor PISA Test Scores Amidst Controversy

Israel's Ministry of Education is preparing for a significant drop in the country's ranking on the international PISA tests, according to a report by Kan News. A senior ministry official told Kan News that Israel is "about to dive in the country rankings," attributing the expected decline partly to the fact that students were tested during a "problematic period."

Simultaneously, accusations are flying between the National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation (RA"M), responsible for the international tests, and the Ministry of Education. RA"M Director General Gal Alon claims that Education Minister Yoav Kisch and his director-general prepared for the test, which took place in March 2025, in violation of regulations.

Alon alleges that documents and testimonies suggest the minister and his director-general directed the transfer of NIS 900,000 from "Swords of Iron" rehabilitation funds to specifically prepare 110 schools for the PISA research through a reinforcement track. Alon stated that such preparation is forbidden by the OECD and could result in a warning in the international report. He added that RA"M brought the matter to the minister's attention in February 2025, and he instructed to halt the preparations, but only recently did they discover the minister himself had authorized the budget allocation.

Conversely, a report by the Ministry of Education's internal ombudsman stated that the reinforcement program for ninth graders has been operating for many years and was expanded due to learning gaps created by the war. The program was implemented within the existing tender, without additional dedicated hours, and the report found no basis for a claim linking the program to PISA test preparation.