Parents from low-income and development communities accuse the Education Ministry of discrimination, insisting their children receive an inferior education, an accusation that is dismissed by ministry officials.
On that note, the ministry has released the results of its nationwide achievement tests, an exam given to students in the state public schools, both secular and religious. The test shows unequivocally that students in low-income and development areas do indeed know less, the result of inferior schools.
The results are from the exam given to students once in four years and external exam given nationwide to assess the system. The exam is given to second graders to determine language skills and to 5th and 8th graders to assess their general knowledge.
For example, the average score among 8th graders in English among Ra’anana students was 567, as compared to the nationwide average of 534 and an average of 491 in Negev area schools. (YWN-ISRAEL adds there are also many children of native English speaking families in that city).
The average score among 8th graders in math in Tel Aviv is 549 as compared to 532 in Beersheva. For the same students in technology, Tel Aviv scored 551 and Beersheva 537 and Jerusalem 520.
English – Tel Aviv (550), Beersheva (537) and Jerusalem (529). Nationwide (534).
Ministry officials admit that in light of the scores they have work to do in many areas.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
The schools definitely need to be more professional. However, those who have a higher income generally are better educated themselves and can usually provide more help at home to their children. So it is not just providing equal education but often more resources to lower achievement areas to compensate for this. That means more money.
Aryeh Zelasko
Beit Shemesh