Deri, Rabin and Lincoln: Welcome to new civics curriculum
Education Ministry's new civics curriculum to include lessons on political corruption, assassinations and their consequences
From theoretical studies to the real world: Ynet has learned that the Education Ministry's new curriculum will include lesson plans that will focus, among other things, on former Prime Minster Yitzhak Rabin and convicted politicians Aryeh Deri, Shlomo Benizri and Abraham Hirchson.
All within the framework of a decision to get students involved in issues of political corruption and political violence.
The Education Ministry decided to add the subjects to the curriculum in a bid to get students interested in current events and involved in the public agenda.
According to the new concept, the profusion of political corruption cases over the last decade and the marked media coverage they received mean that they now belong in the classroom.
The new program means that for the first time, Israeli students will study the social and political consequences of assassinating world leaders and political personalities.
The case studies will include Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandy Anwar Sadat and John F. Kennedy and of course, former PM Rabin. Lessons will also focus on the murder of Emil Grunzweig and the pipe bomb attack against Professor Zeev Sternhell.
Head of the Education Ministry's civics panel, Professor Asher Cohen explained that the purpose of civics studies is to turn the students into better citizens, which is why they must also be taught about the negative aspects of society.
"There is no doubt that the uniqueness of civics classes is that they also deal with current events that supply us with case studies and learning material," Cohen said.
He believes that "it isn't that there was no political corruption in Israel in past, but in recent years awareness of the issue has led to a revived interest in the public debate and so we cannot teach classes on Israel's political structure without teaching students about the boundaries of right and wrong for publicly elected figures."
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