Israel’s education system is failing the students who will shape its future – editorial

Israel's education system faces a significant crisis, as evidenced by its lowest-ever scores in the 2025 PISA exam across mathematics, reading, and science. The country experienced the second-sharpest decline in average scores among 75 nations, with a 29-point drop. While Education Minister Yoav Kisch attributed these results to disruptions from the war, stating, "After nearly a year and a half of war, the evacuation of communities, and deep disruptions to the continuity of learning, I believe these results demonstrate the extraordinary resilience of Israel's education system," underlying systemic issues are also highlighted.

• Prof. Dan Ben-David of the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research argues that approximately half of Israeli children, including Haredim and Arab Israelis, receive a "third-world level education."
• He proposes dismantling the current four-stream education system (state, state religious, Haredi, and Arab) in favor of a single, unified system with a significantly upgraded, compulsory core curriculum.
• Ben-David warns that if these trends continue, these segments, which are the fastest-growing, "will not be able to maintain a first-world economy."

The article emphasizes that education, like defense, is crucial for Israel's future and requires urgent reform and prominent attention from any future government.