Study: 1/3 of Israelis would pay more taxes for better education

Study shows that preference was more than double the 16% who said they'd be willing to pay more taxes to improve health care.

By RUTH EGLASH
back to school 248.88 aj (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski )
back to school 248.88 aj
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski )
One-third of the population is willing to pay higher taxes if it means the country's education system will be vastly improved, according to a new study published this week by the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel. According to the survey, which used a sample of some 500 Israelis aged 18 and up, 33 percent said they would be willing to pay additional taxes to improve the status of the country's educational services. That preference was more than double the 16% who said they'd be willing to pay more to improve health care, and more than triple the 9% willing to increase taxes for improved welfare and national defense. Law enforcement drew only 4 percent, while infrastructure - roads, sewage, and water supplies - just 2% support. However, the survey also noted that 27% of those questioned said they would prefer not to pay any additional taxes at all, even if meant improvements to the areas under question. In addition to the question of taxation, the survey also asked whether those with less than a 12th grade education were able to make ends meet financially. In response, 68% of those with less than 12 years of education answered "absolutely not" or "just barely" to the question: "Does your income allow you and your family to meet basic needs?" Headed by Professor Dan Ben-David, the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies periodically carries out such surveys for it to calculate the annual Taub Index of Social Confidence, a well-respected measure of social satisfaction in Israel. Aside from its focus on taxation and income, the center's current survey also looked into the pressure facing the country's social welfare system. The study confirms the claims of social workers countrywide that they are overworked and underpaid, with the elderly needy population failing to receive adequate care.