Overcrowding in classes, socioeconomic and sectorial gaps, poor student performance – these are only a few of the many problems facing the education system.
By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZIUpdated: SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 11:48Students hold up sign reading "Welcome to first grade"(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Some 2.2 million pupils and 180,000 educators kick off the new school year on Thursday.Welcoming the students back to school, Education Minister Naftali Bennett said that Israeli children this year will be privy to a “more personal and more professional education system instilled with more values.”Sitting down with The Jerusalem Post, Bennett discussed the state of education in the country, the challenges facing future generations of pupils, and the reforms being implemented in the coming year.Overcrowding in classes, socioeconomic and sectorial gaps, poor student performance – these are only a few of the many problems facing the education system.Cognizant of the challenges and addressing the criticisms levied against him, Bennett outlined his multifaceted agenda to tackle these issues and prepare pupils for the reality of the 21st century.His reforms aim to place a greater emphasis on core curriculum studies, such as mathematics and English, while incorporating Jewish and Zionist values as a requirement for every student.“Today we need a new model – a model of innovation. We must teach children to think, how to learn, to teach them curiosity and team work,” he said.Read the full interview in this Friday’s Jerusalem Post Magazine.