Israel: Israel Education Profile

Education System in Israel

Education in Israel is a precious legacy. Following the tradition of completed generations, education continues to be a fundamental price and is recognized as the key to the next. The educational system aims to prepare children to become responsible members of a democratic, pluralistic society in which people from different ethnic, religious, cultural and political backgrounds coexist. It is based on Jewish values, love of the land and the principles of liberty and tolerance. It seeks to impart a high level of knowledge, with an emphasis on scientific and technological skills essential for the country's continued development.

Preschool Education

A lot of two-year-olds and almost all three- and four-year-olds attend some kind of preschool framework. Most programs are sponsored by local authorities, some within day-care centers operated by women's organizations; others are privately owned. The Ministry of Education allocates appropriate resources for preschool education in disadvantaged areas.

Kindergarten for five-year-olds is free and compulsory. The curriculum aims to teach fundamental skills, inclunding language and numerical concepts, to foster cognitive and creative capacities and to promote social abilities. The curricula of all preschools are guided and supervised by the Ministry of Education to ensure a solid and well-rounded foundation for next learning.

Primary and Secondary Education

The majority of secondary schools offer academic curricula in science and in the humanities leading to a matriculation certificate and higher education.Certain secondary schools offer specialized curricula which lead to a matriculation certificate and/or vocational diploma. Technological schools train technicians and practical engineers on three levels, with some preparing for higher education, some studying towards a vocational diploma and others acquiring practical skills. Agricultural schools, usually in a residential setting, supplement basic studies with subjects relating to agronomy. Military preparatory schools, in two different settings, train next career personnel and technicians in specific fields required by the Israel Defense Forces; both programs are residential, one open to boys only, the other is coeducational. Yeshiva high schools, mainly boarding schools, with separate frameworks for boys and girls, complement their secular curricula with intensive religious studies and promote observance of tradition and a Jewish way of life. Comprehensive schools offer studies in a variety of vocations, ranging from bookkeeping to mechanics, electronics, hotel trades, graphic design and additional.

Youth not attending one of the above schools are subject to the Apprenticeship Law, requiring them to study for a trade at an approved vocational school. Apprenticeship programs are provided by the Ministry of Labor in schools affiliated with vocational networks. Lasting three to four years, these programs consist of two years of classroom study followed by one/two years during which students study three days a week and work at their chosen trade on the other days. Trades range from hairstyling and cooking to mechanics and word processing.

High Education

Higher education plays a pivotal role in the economic and social development of the country. Almost a quarter of a century before the national came into being, the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa was opened (1924) to train engineers and architects and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was founded (1925) as a center of higher learning for youth in the Land of Israel and to attract Jewish students and scholars from abroad. At the same time as Israel attained independence (1948), enrollment at the two universities totaled about 1,600. In 2002-2003 some 258,000 students attended the country's institutions of higher learning. Of these, 47 % attend universities and 39 % are enrolled in colleges, while 14 % participate in courses through the Open University.

Accorded full academic and administrative freedom, Israel's institutions of higher education are open to all those who meet their academic standards. New immigrants and students lacking the necessary qualifications may attend a appropriate preparatory program, which upon successful completion enables them to apply for admission.

Most Israeli students are over age 21 at the same time as they begin their studies, next three years compulsory military service for men and almost two years for women. Until the early 1960s, students pursued higher education mainly to acquire knowledge, while in recent years they have been additional career-oriented, with larger numbers enrolled in the wide range of professional studies presently offered. At present, well over half of Israelis in the 20-24 age group are enrolled in one of the country's institutions of post-secondary or higher education.

Adult Education

A wide range of courses sponsored by the Ministry of Education, inclunding by public and private institutions, address individual needs ranging from learning the Hebrew language and upgrading basic educational skills to promoting family well-being and expanding general knowledge. The Ministry of Labor provides vocational training and retraining for adults in a lot of fields, available in the large cities, inclunding in a lot of towns.

Hebrew language instruction on a lot of levels, using the specially-developed ulpan method, helps immigrants and other people groups to integrate into the mainstream of Israeli life. Compensatory education, designed to reduce educational and cultural disparities part adults is tailored to the world of adult learners. Vocational training courses, both in day and night classes, are available at centers jointly operated by the Ministry of Labor and industrial enterprises, inclunding in institutions for technological and professional training. 'Popular universities' all over the country offer hundreds of adult education classes and workshops in academic subjects inclunding the arts. Appropriate radio broadcasts for immigrants include a 'university on the air' program.

Tertiary Education

There are seven Israeli universities for which students must pass the bagrutentrance examination to enter. Other post-secondary institutions provide teaching and nursing training, as well as preparation for other technical and semi-professional careers.

The nation’s oldest university is the Israel Institute of Technology, which has educated 3 generations since being founded in 1924. It offers degrees in science and engineering, and architecture, industrial management, medicine and technical education too.

Grading System in Israel

Universities in Israel