Stuck in the 1990s (Extract)

By NETTY C. GROSS
Extract from an article in Issue 11, September 15, 2008 of The Jerusalem Report. To subscribe to The Jerusalem Report click here. 'Israel is stuck in the 1990s in terms of educational advances,'says educator Neri Horowitz According to the Ministry of Education's website, Israeli schools are scheduled to open their doors on Sunday, at 8:30, on the morning of September 1, 2008. But as children enjoy the waning days of summer vacation, perennial talk of strikes, school violence and doubts about scholastic achievement fill the airwaves, filling parents with dread. The Jerusalem Report asked professional educator Dr. Neri Horowitz, who heads the Senior Civil Service program at the non-profit Mandel Leadership Institute in Jerusalem, why the beginning of Israel's school year always seems to be fraught with threats of strikes and work stoppages as well as other dire news reports. "That's an excellent question," he chuckles, "which only some not-born-in-Israel might consider odd. Fact is, I can't imagine the opening of a school year in Israel that would be tension-free." The Jerusalem Report: Why does the new school year always have to start off anxiously? Dr. Neri Horowitz: Basically because all the key players smell an opportunity for self-betterment. Threatening a strike has become a kind of cultural ritual. The teachers' unions perceive an opportunity to improve their lot in terms of salaries and hours. The parents' union hopes to get funding for new initiatives. Finally, the Ministry of Education wants more money from the government. Actually, it is they who set the ball rolling by opening up a "situation room" on the first day of school. The terminology alone suggests conflict. Everybody wants something and suddenly we have a crisis on our hands. Israelis traditionally have a very hard time making a smooth transition from summer back to school. There has to be tension. Are there no real education problems? Of course there are. Shoved under the rug. In general, Israel is great at finding quick temporary solutions to problems instead of planning. What should Israel's education mavens be planning, ideally? The most urgent long-term problem is that we are not adequately preparing our children to compete in an era of globalization. Israel must redefine the role of school in the 21st century or else our kids won't be prepared for the job market as they enter adulthood. Education is increasingly going hand in hand with technology and schools need to be equipped with modern equipment such as computers and the like. It's a rapidly changing field and we lag way behind and are losing our advantage. Globalization is changing the face of education. I predict that in coming years, matriculation exams will be standardized for kids, say, from Cyprus, Greece, Israel and Hungary. Kids will compete with each other, rather than countries competing with other countries. Israel has certain built-in handicaps, even without the Israel-Arab conflict. For example, Hebrew, the language spoken by most Israeli citizens, is quite esoteric and not spoken worldwide. And yet few Israeli school kids speak English properly, as do children in various northern European countries that also have uncommon native tongues, such the Scandinavian lands. The fact is, Israel is stuck in the 1990s in terms of educational advances. We are nowhere near ready for the 21st century. Government investment in school infrastructure is very low. Schools here are still fighting for window guards and air-conditioning. Extract from an article in Issue 11, September 15, 2008 of The Jerusalem Report. To subscribe to The Jerusalem Report click here.