The Ministry of Education has announced that it is most likely going to remove ksav Rashi from bagrut matriculation exams in Tanach, the Kipa website reports. A final vote is scheduled for later in the week but the move is expected to receive majority support.
To date, students were tested on their ability to read Rashi script to make certain they were capable of reading the commentary in the original source text. It appears that over recent years, a growing number of teachers in the public schools and religious public school system have been eliminating the Rashi text, explaining they feel it is extraneous.
Nevertheless, the ministry has insisted that it is taught since it is part of the bagrut Tanach exam. A senior ministry official, who oversees the Tanach curriculum in the nation’s public schools indicates a decision is pending and a final determination should be reached in the coming days.
Those opposing the elimination of Rashi script from the curriculum warn the move will drive students further away from Gemara and today the national results in that subject are already nothing to be proud of.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Considering the limited time and resources available for preparing these students, teaching ksav rashi its not a priority. Without even getting into the debate over increasing the time focused on secular subjects needed for obtaining a higher paying job, there are more important areas of tanach to emphasize. Yes, in an ideal world, students would learn ksav rashi but as a practical matter, tradeoffs need to be made and this is clearly not somthing that important.
If the standards are falling, rather then educate better, just stop learing. Great way of dealing with issues
#1 You are clearly not a Gadol haDor and not a Gadol beTorah, so be a little humble when it comes to stating clearly what is important and what is not. Although the controls on this issue are not in the hands of gedolei Torah, they are the only ones who can state clearly what the priorities must be (yes, even for secular students) and whether teaching ksav Rashi is a top prority.
Not learning Rashi script is a destruction of Yiddishkeit. It does not take so long of a time to learn. For number one what do you consider bettter to learn arab script. Which secular subjects are needed for them to learn. It does not take a long time to learn and if 10 years old can learn it; for sure High school graduates should know it. Enough with dumbing down our youth