Israeli Arabs fall behind in matriculation eligibility
Only 35.7 percent of Arab students eligible for matriculation certificate, Education ministry report reveals; Jewish sector shows overall improvement
The report revealed that more than 30,000 of the 52,664 students who took their finals in Israel were not eligible for a matriculation certificate.
Some 58.7 percent of Jewish students took their finals, while in 2006 only 58.2 percent of them did. A vast improvement was noted in the Druze sector, where 44.4 percent of the students took their finals.
The Arab sector showed overall drop in the number of students taking their finals, as only 35.7 percent of Arab students and 27.9 percent of Bedouin students were eligible for a matriculation certificate in 2007.
Girls took the lead in 2007 as well, showing better academic achievements than those of the boys. Some 94.2 percent of high school girls took their finals in 2007, compared to 89.5 percent of the boys.
The Education Ministry's report also revealed an increase in the number of students taking finals in agriculture and technology classes, and a decrease in the number of those taking their finals in contemplative classes.
