Educators state that a high school education should prepare students for what is known as "real life." It should give them, not only pedagogical tools but also an understanding and recognition of the reality and the environment in which they live as well as the skills to hold intelligent conversations on the issues. They should know about the people who shaped the history of the country.
A new survey published Tuesday morning in Israel Hayom shows that 91% of the nation’s high school teachers claim that students are not sufficiently engaged in the challenges of Israeli society. About 70% of the teachers believe that the education system does not prepare their students for meaningful service in the IDF.
The conflict with the Palestinian Authority Arabs is hardly reflected in the curricula, according to 67% of the teachers surveyed. And 65% of the respondents claimed insufficient familiarity of the youth with the Land of Israel.
Prof. Irit Keinan, head of the informal education department at the Kibbutz Seminary and chair of the Academic Forum on Citizenship, agrees that not enough is being done about the Israeli reality and the Israeli-Palestinian Authority conflict.
She explains: "The education system is in a severe crisis - it is difficult to discuss all the issues that challenge the discourse. This includes the Israeli and Palestinian reality and material related to the justice system, LGBT people, or religion and state. Civics teachers and homeroom teachers who are also tasked with discussing issues of social import are in constant fear. Any expression of opinion could lead to a riot in the classroom and an 'uproar' on social networks. The Ministry of Education does not back teachers up and does not stand by them. Woe to those who would talk about the ‘occupation.’ Teachers prefer not to talk about issues because 'it's political.' But in Israel every issue is political."
According to her, the role of the education system is to teach the students to think: "The problems in the education system go much deeper than whether or not they deal with the conflict. The students grow up in a bubble, and then, when they go out into life, they don't have the critical thinking tools with which to deal with propaganda, so they are easily influenced by Incitement and brainwashing."