New Study Finds Israeli Teachers Among Lowest Educated in Developed Countries

A recent study by Dr. Yael Meltzer from the Shoresh Institution, based on the 2022-2023 PIAAC international skills survey, reveals that Israeli teachers rank 17th out of 20 developed countries in core competencies. The study, reported on Kan News Radio's "This Morning" program, assessed literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills. Israel ranked above only Italy, Latvia, and Poland, with Israeli teachers scoring lower than their OECD counterparts across all skill areas and age groups.

The research highlights that 78% of Israeli teachers hold academic degrees compared to 84% in OECD countries, and only 37% have master's degrees versus 49% in the OECD. Unlike in OECD countries, where teachers' skills closely match those of other academics, Israeli teachers with academic degrees perform significantly worse than other professionals with similar education. Interestingly, among those with only secondary education, Israeli teachers scored higher than their peers in other fields.

Gender disparities are notable, with Israeli male teachers scoring 7.3% lower than other male academics, while in the OECD, male teachers score slightly higher than their peers. Female teachers in Israel also lag by 2.6%, compared to 0.4% in the OECD. Furthermore, Israeli teachers with STEM backgrounds score substantially lower than STEM professionals outside teaching, with deficits of 14.4% in reading, 10.3% in math, and 15.9% in problem-solving. Social science graduates among teachers show the highest skills in Israel.

The study also found significant disparities within Israel's education streams: Arab education teachers scored an average of 228 points, compared to 261 in ultra-Orthodox, 268 in state, and 271 in state-religious education, all below the OECD average of 281.

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 reconsidering admission criteria to prioritize actual skills, introducing a pathway where candidates first earn a university degree in their subject before teacher training, and investing in Arab and early childhood education. Without these changes, narrowing the gap with leading countries and improving teaching quality will be difficult.