The Minister of Education unveils the registration reform and annoys the teachers
Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton on Tuesday presented plans for high school enrollment reform, under which some tests will be replaced with new study, work and assessment methods.
The changes will see written exams in history, literature, civics and biblical studies canceled and replaced by class projects and cross-curricular work marked internally by each school, alongside external assessment.
In each of these subjects, teachers will select projects from which students in grades 10 and 11 can choose. Work for matriculation, known as hollerwill include a range of new media and formats, with students preparing individual projects and oral presentations.
Grade 12 enrollment projects must be assessed by an external examiner, with an overall final mark made up of the school’s own mark and that of the external assessment, in equal parts. The external note will be marked on a written work and a frontal presentation of the project.
Testing for maths, English, language and science subjects will continue as in the past, with written tests set externally.
The new curriculum is to be implemented next year for 10th graders.
Students at Yehud Comprehensive High School take their Yehud Matriculation Exams on July 8, 2020. (Yossi Zeliger/ Flash90)
“Today’s world is changing at a rapid pace, and the method of study must also adapt to enrollment,” Shasha-Biton said. “Our goal is to give students tools that will serve them in their personal, professional and academic future. This will give them a relevant and in-depth learning experience that will stay in their minds for years to come.
However, the Israel Teachers‘ Union said it had not yet reached an agreement with the Education Ministry on the changes, due to objections from the Finance Ministry.
The Treasury’s resistance to the changes, the union said, speaks to the “harm caused by the reform to humanities subjects and the teaching public”.
Shasha-Biton hit back saying she understood teachers’ concerns about the impact of the reform on their salaries, but stressed there would be no negative impact on their terms of employment or earnings.
The minister said in a statement that she was confident that once the union has been reassured in writing, it will also support the changes.
Registration exams can have a significant impact on a student’s future. Scores are a major criterion considered in applications to elite military units and academic institutions. the holler certificate is awarded to students who pass the required examinations with a mark of 56% or more in each field of study.
the bagruyot The reform is the latest in a series of systemic changes Shasha-Biton has led since her appointment as education minister in June 2021.
In January, the Minister announced a plan to give more financial autonomy to school principals. According to the plan, each principal will receive a budget of NIS 250,000 and NIS 1 million, depending on the size of the school and socioeconomic status, so that they have more freedom to pursue their educational goals.
Israel is considered an exceptionally centralized system when it comes to its educational decision-making processes, leaving school principals virtually powerless to maneuver within the system. Under the plan, which is expected to begin next year, they will have more flexibility to meet the specific needs of their students.
