Israeli Parties Unveil Education Platforms Ahead of Elections
As Israel's school year begins amidst looming elections, political parties are presenting their platforms to address challenges in the education system, including low achievements, teacher shortages, and sectorial gaps. The proposals range from strengthening national identity and integrating artificial intelligence to reforming curriculum and teacher compensation.
Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Gadi Eisenkot, advocates for prioritizing state-funded schools teaching core subjects, aiming to unify all students within a national framework. They also propose empowering educators, decentralizing authority, expanding early childhood education, reducing matriculation exams, and rewarding teaching excellence.
The Likud party, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aims to continue its current initiatives, focusing on AI in education, personalized learning, digital infrastructure upgrades, and teacher training. They also plan to promote financial literacy, address social exclusion, offer high schoolers college courses, and remove anti-Zionist elements from the education system.
Naftali Bennett's party, Yamina, seeks to reduce the Education Ministry's powers, transferring them to school principals and local authorities. They propose making the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) education sector public and state-run, increasing subsidies for quality daycare centers, and raising teacher salaries based on performance. They also plan for a five-day school week, integrating informal education, and implementing AI tutors.
The Democratic Party, led by Yair Golan, is demanding the Education Ministry portfolio, aiming to raise teacher salaries and implement civics and democracy studies for all students. They advocate for a "State Education Council" to ensure equitable funding for secular state education and aim to eliminate budget disparities between educational streams.
Other parties like Shas and United Torah Judaism aim to preserve the autonomy of their respective Haredi educational networks. The Joint List emphasizes closing the gap between Arab and Jewish education, increasing public investment, and granting administrative independence to Arab schools. Otzma Yehudit plans to grant administrative autonomy to school principals, link teacher pay to achievements, and strengthen Jewish identity in education. Ra'am focuses on integrating Arab teachers into the system, addressing classroom shortages in Bedouin communities, and incorporating AI in Arab education. Blue and White, led by Benny Gantz, proposes mandatory core curriculum for all, improved teacher conditions, and transforming the 12th grade into a "preparation for life" year, alongside fully funded daycare from birth.
Einut (Unity) advocates for "Education for Roots, Excellence, and the Future," emphasizing Bible studies, Jewish history, and Zionism, alongside core academic and AI skills. They aim to reduce bureaucracy for educators and link public funding to transparent performance metrics. The New Haredi and Achai parties support the state-run Haredi education system. Ofek Vinter's party, Am Israel, will soon release its education plan, while Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party has not yet responded.
