Beginning on a positive note, the report released by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) reveals that Israel is a leader among OECD member nations, citing Israel ranks very high regarding the number of students in school relative to the population, 29.7%, as compared to the OECD average of 22%.
However, that is not the portion of the report that has education officials concerned. The report cites that Israel lags behind other member nations regarding how much the government invests in each student. In Israel for example, teachers work far less hours and earn lower salaries. Additional stats pertaining to teachers show in Israel, 53% of teachers are younger than 39-years-old as compared to 41% OECD average. Israel also maintains a high teacher/student ratio throughout its schools as compared to other OECD member nations, particularly in elementary school. However, an average elementary school class has 27 children, well above the OECD average of 21.2. This places Israel in the 25th place among 27 OECD member nations.
Further complicating the education environment is the fact that classroom overcrowding in Israel leads OECD nations. The data contained in the report refers to the 2010-2011 school year.
A teacher’s salary in Israel for primary education is 71% of the average OECD teacher salary and government funding per student is significantly lower as well — $17,516 as compared to $30,293, referring to primary education in 2010.
Classroom time is an area of concern too, with the average OECD middle school student receiving 1,219 hours as compared to Israeli schools with 874 hours.
According to statistics from 2011, teaching hours in Israel also lag behind other OECD nations as follows:
Primary School (Israel is higher)
Israel: 842
OECD: 790
Junior High (Middle)
Israel: 614
OECD: 709
High School
Israel: 521
OECD: 664
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Most of the other OECD members have very low birthrates, often falling below replacement. Largely due to the Hareidi (and some of the Arabs), Israel is almost the only developed country where people have enough faith in the future that they are making babies in large enough numbers to avoid becoming extinct. Even in Israel, the secular elites require immigration or convincing haredim to go “off the derekh” in order to survive demographically.
Too bad they didn’t involve Bklyn in the stats, here there are an average of 29-32 students per elementary classroom. Help!!!
Ever wonder why so many children are having problems learning to read, if the young boys have less then 2 hrs of secular studies 4 days a week (including recess)and there are over 30 in the class, outside tutoring, P3 services and Special Ed has risen to the heights.
My elementary school daughter learns with 36 classmates, while in my older daughter says the average in her high school is 49!! Obviously the report didnt take chareidi facts into account, or the statistics would be horrifying.