Israeli Educational Television offers Ethiopian-Israeli media course

"Our moral duty is to enable every child to fulfill a dream, not just to reinforce his learning ... to develop a talent unique to him," said Education Minister Naftali Bennett.

By HAYAH GOLDLIST-EICHLER
Updated: AUGUST 19, 2015 00:10
Minister of Education Naftali Bennet was present at the ceremony to support and congratulate the graduates. (photo credit: COURTESY EDUCATION MINISTRY)
Minister of Education Naftali Bennet was present at the ceremony to support and congratulate the graduates.
(photo credit: COURTESY EDUCATION MINISTRY)
“Making Media,” an Israeli Educational Television communications course designed to prepare Ethiopian-Israeli high school students prepare to work in the industry, has graduated its third class “Reducing gaps is not just a slogan, it is action, it is a worldview that accompanies us in every step we take. Our moral duty is to enable every child to fulfill his dream, not just to reinforce his learning, but to allow him to fulfill a dream, to develop a talent unique to him,” Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who attended Monday evening’s graduation ceremony, said.
“This wonderful project, which we carry out at the Education Ministry in partnership with the Israeli Educational Television, is designed to allow students of Ethiopian descent who have the desire or talent to work in television, to fulfill themselves. We are proud of the program graduates and we will continue to work toward reducing disparities,” he said.
The course is part of a fiveyear government plan to integrate Ethiopian Israelis, according to a 2008 cabinet decision whose term of reference ends next month.
It aims to empower outstanding Ethiopian-Israeli students, to foster leadership qualities, and to enrich their knowledge and strengthen their sense of capability through familiarity with the world of communications.
The course consists of 150 hours of theoretical and practical instruction, and includes a final project.
Approximately two-thirds of the 25 graduating students were born in Ethiopia. The others were born in Israel to parents who made aliya.
Principals and other staff members at the students’ schools reported an increase in motivation and academic achievement of those participating in the course. The students reported an improvement in their sense of personal abilities.
Some of the graduates from the first and second cohorts have successfully integrated into the field of communications.
“This is a welcome collaboration between the Education Ministry and Israeli Educational Television. Those of Ethiopian descent, like all Israeli citizens, are entitled to an equal opportunity to realize the abilities and raw potential within them.
Such an initiative can only exist at a public station,” Eldad Koblentz, director-general of Israeli Educational Television, said.