It is something of a cliché to say that the future of Israel is currently sitting at school desks, but it is a truth that should concern those who want a good future for Israel.
The near future doesn’t hold any real external threats to Israel, but the differences in achievement between Israeli students and students around the world; the differences among Israeli students themselves, and the general feeling that the values that have held Israeli society together are wearing thin, do present a threat.
Experts agree the that Israeli educational system is outdated, and should be rebuilt almost completely from scratch, just as western countries have done, so that schools will operate autonomously. This would allow them to employ the very best teachers, giving them a free hand in developing pedagogical methods in which the students learn out of their own interest, in keeping with the standards of the 21st century.
Educational autonomy means placing the community in the center of things, while developing a unique identity based on the democratic values of the state.
Such aims have been stated in several committees on educational reform over the years, but the government of Israel has been unable to execute them. Even if a committed minister takes office, he has limited scope for achieving major goals.
Israeli governments over the years haven’t openly admitted these limitations, but the policies they have enacted confirm their powerlessness. A government that announced major change in education policy would probably find itself out on its own. It is doubtful whether the public, teachers, parents and students would support complex change. Unlike other reforms, educational reforms involve changes in basic perceptions. Each and every one of the people involved in the system has to change, and this is far from simple. But, despite the great challenge, Israel has no choice.
The philanthropic community and the third sector should be a major factor in these processes, because perceptional changes have to be built from the ground, up. By engaging in dialogue with teachers we can open up possibilities of drawing up better and more interesting lesson plans. We may provide them with more leeway, but the change itself has to happen by consent.
If education-targeted philanthropy helped with these changes, it would become much more effective. The Central Bureau of Statistics, together with the “Yecholim, Notnim” initiative, recently published a “philanthropy survey”, to promote effective donations. But donations to schools and kindergartens total NIS 300 million annually. This is just 0.5% of the NIS 60 billion spent nationally on education.
Is it possible to affect the education system by donating money to initiatives? It is easy to sympathize with giving a donation to an initiative that closely affects children. But to change major trends, a national approach is required.
We may be fooled by the number of Israeli Nobel Prize laureates. We would do well to listen to them, and to their candid concern for the future of Israeli education. Israel stands before an economic and social turning point. We must negotiate it intelligently. It can be done.
The writer is CEO of the “Hinuch Israeli” (CIE the Center for Israeli Education) movement.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 12, 2014
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