Concerning data released Thursday by the National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation in Education paints a troubling picture of academic performance in Israeli schools.
According to the report, there has been a sharp decline in achievement, with fewer than a quarter of ninth-grade students (just 22%) meeting the standards set by the Education Ministry's curriculum.
English stands out as the weakest subject in the education system. For the first time, and following ongoing dialogue with heads of haredi girls' high schools, most haredi girls in ninth grade were tested. The results reveal a dismal reality: only 7% of haredi girls met the required level in English, while in the Arab sector just 9% of students met the standard.
In the students' native language (Hebrew), results are somewhat better but still far from satisfactory. Overall, 38% of ninth graders across Israel meet the required level. Haredi girls performed similarly to other Hebrew-speaking students.
By sector, 44% of Hebrew speakers meet the standard, compared to just 19% in Arabic-speaking schools.
Despite the low results, the education system described the participation of about 70% of haredi students - both girls and boys - as a “real revolution" in measurement and evaluation, marking unprecedented cooperation with national testing.