30% of Israeli parents think they can't afford child's higher education

Despite that alarming statistic, it is an improvement from last year, where 41% said they could not afford their child's education.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated: AUGUST 27, 2018 19:31
Graduate holding diploma [illustrative] (photo credit: INGIMAGE)
Graduate holding diploma [illustrative]
(photo credit: INGIMAGE)
Almost a third of parents questioned don’t believe they will be able to afford to finance their child’s academic career, a new study warns.
The study, conducted by the Geocartography Institute and commissioned by the Israel Education Scholarship Foundation (ISEF), is further proof of the widening socio-economic gaps in the Jewish state.
ISEF, a non-profit organization with offices in New York and Rehovot, promotes academic and social excellence and works with promising disadvantaged youth seeking higher education for over 40 years. The organization works to combat the socio-economic gaps evident in Israeli society so that students of all backgrounds can realize their full potential.
The study questioned 600 adults. Among the 30%, 14% know for a fact that the cost of their child’s education is prohibitive, while the remainder predict that paying for the education will pose a significant hardship for the family.
Despite this alarming statistic, it is an improvement from last year, when 41% said they could not afford their child’s education.
This year’s numbers are even more dismaying, however, when taking into account how many parents value education and wish it for their kids. The survey reveals that nearly 56% of parents say education is very important.
Predictably, the lower the education of the adults, the less likely they will be able to support their child’s academic studies.
Tomer Samarkandi
Tomer Samarkandi
“The higher the number of adults whose highest academic achievement is high school, the worse is the probability that they will be able to finance higher education – and thus the social gaps will be eroded and the next generation will be eroded,” said Tomer Samarkandi, director of the ISEF Foundation.
“Higher education is not a luxury. Moreover, in a world where it is expected that in a decade artificial intelligence will substitute people for many jobs and professions, higher education is necessary for social and economic advancement – for the individual and for the entire Israeli society,” he added.