CBS: Haredim, Arabs will soon be 44% of all students

Haredi and Arab students are expected to account for 44 percent of all primary and secondary school students by 2017, according to a report the Central Bureau of Statistics released on Monday.According to the report, within five years 26% (447,577) of the students will be Arab and 18% (209,910) will be ultra-Orthodox. Students attending non-religious public schools will remain the largest group, at 41% (699,174) – down from 52% today – while 14% (237,853) will attend religious public schools.The effect of the haredi sector’s high birthrate was clear in both the projections and the current growth rates. Last year alone, the number of ultra- Orthodox students grew by 4.1%, while Arab students increased by 1.5%, non-haredi religious students by 1.3% and secular public school students by a mere 0.7%.While Arab growth in primary and secondary school attendance outpaced Jewish growth in the past decade (30% to 16%), a smaller number continued on to university education.“The number of Arabs in higher education did not rise, and even fell somewhat,” the report said.Between 2013-2017, the total number of students in the education system is expected grow from 1.579 million to 1.695 million, a 7.3% increase.