Israeli Education Minister's Decision to Cancel Student Assessments Sparks Widespread Criticism

The move follows a severe dispute over the reliability of recent exam results. In September, Kisch attempted to block the publication of "Tnu'fa" test results, which revealed low student achievement, including that only 3% of ninth graders met science and technology curriculum standards for the 2024-2025 school year, while 36% of sixth graders met English standards and 37% met math standards. Kisch claimed the data presentation was misleading and appointed Professor Ami Moyal as an external examiner to investigate.

Released on Monday, Moyal's report affirmed the reliability of the test data and RAMA's professional standing, recommending that cooperation be strengthened. However, the report did criticize RAMA's presentation of high performance as the sole standard for meeting curriculum requirements. Kisch used this criticism to justify the suspension, stating that RAMA's work would not resume until systemic reforms are made. The decision, coming a week before elections, drew sharp criticism from the Coalition for the Rescue of State Education and former Arab Education Department director Abdullah Khatib, who warned it would hinder educational planning and budget discussions.