wanted to be like ameriki. now you are like ameriki!

Israeli educators have a very difficult job. Unlike the Asian and European countries that score so highly on the tests, Israel has to constantly educate newly arrived refugee children-many of whom received little formal schooling in their previous country (like the Ethiopians). Other refugees have language issues that are difficult to overcome. In addition, many Israeli children are under constant stress such as the kids living in Sderot and Ashkelon. Also, Israel is burdened by high military expenditures and can't afford an adequate education budget. None of the top-scoring countries are in a state of war with their neighbors and none suffer from the relentless terrorism that Israelis have to endure. Surprisingly, with all of the above, Israeli researchers are in the forefront of science, math, and other technological areas. I have no clue as to the curriculum in the religious schools so I can't comment on some of the other blogs that both praise and excoriate the religious institutions.

I think it's amusing as it shoots that Israeli and Jewish intelligence BS all to hell.. They're failing because there is no need for them to be any better.... There's no future in Israel..all they have to look forward is to stealing more land and getting into some criminal behavior.. It's not only education that is failing ..the whole society has failed.....look at last weeks article on how crude and rude Israeli society is, you're notorious...Can't say that about any other people..not even Africans..... Wake up guys..you're a lost cause..You are criminals for what you've done and worse than Nazis for what you continue to do to Palestinians....How do you expect spawn of criminals to be any better? They're mirrors of your culture, your society and their parents.. They are as amoral..as the parents who went to Israel to steal and live in a Palestinian home.... Look into what makes you the way you are..and then you might come up with some plans to change... But first you must be brutally honest with yourselves..but I don't think you can...Israeli's aren't noted for accepting the ugly truth about themselves... TATA

Seems to be an affliction in Israel. My advice is to stop beating your heads against the wall or slapping yourselves. It only leads to the problems you suffer from: the inability to see reality, the paranoia that the entire world is anti-semitic and you are only victims; the self-pity and fantasy about being a 'light unto nations'. Read a book sometime, preferably non-Jewish literature. Who knows, your IQ may go up 100 points.

1. I'm not sure that these scores react instantaneously to this or that Education Minister. I think it's a much slower process. 2. We need better teachers, and the way to get them is to significantly raise teachers' salaries. That would enable schools to be more selective in hiring teachers, but... 3. Kids here lack self discipline, and we the parents are to blame. I'm not suggesting adopting old fashioned "spare the rod and spoil the child" parenting strategy, but I look around, in supermarkets and such, and I'm mostly disappointed in what I see: parents either allowing their children to do anything, no matter how innapropriate to the situation, or parents stifling their children in a most unenlightened and detrimental manner. This is the core of the problem.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3634458,00.html

The article says that 4300 students were tested. How were they selected? Talkbackers are commenting on various groups, but the article doesn't give a hint as to which groups those tested were from.

How's about putting a very experienced TEACHER IN CHARGE OF THE EDUCATION MINISTRY! You know someone who actually knows about education,has taught over the years and really knows what needs to be done! Just like you wouldn't put a Haredi incharge of the Defense Ministry, why put a politician incharge of the education Ministry!

The kids don't behave, they don't do homework and hours have been cut relentlessly. Kids aren't afraid because of social promotion. There are no real punishments. And what about these huge classes? What do you expect?

leftiist education has given us some genious : Ehud "two years and three thousand qassams to make no hasty decisions on gazza (he asks more time to think about, thinking giving him headache)" Barak, Yuli "i educate children with peace now philosophy, they don t need maths" Tamir, Ehud "abou lesbos and abou my son don t do his army service but i m proud of my familly and i will serve my country the same i have served my familly" Olmert, Dan "as a general during a war the more important thing to do is playing on the stock exchange" Haloutz..... leftists could congratulate themselves, they have a "good team" of leaders... I have forgotten...Amir Peretz.... it is not grave...

Woman, you must have had a very traumatic experience back in America if you keep on releasing your screwdriver mantra with every occasion you get. So what if there are a few dumb teachers in the system - they will never last too long in a competitive atmosphere. Besides, other democracies may also have their "dead horses" who last some time or other in their system, don't they? But those you don't seem to see, do you? Our educational system IS having quite a lot of problems, but DO NOT only try to find them exclusively among teachers because 99 % of them are very loyal and devoted professionals. But that you don't seem to even fathom, I'm sure. Fact is you are a naive because you don't know. So, Millicent darling, look deeper, better and somewhere else for you may come up with something else.

FYI the results of math tests are not due to a year of learning but accumulated knowledge..so these low grades might very well be the results of Limor...not of Juli and we will only see Juli's results in several years from now...political views have nothing to do with math scores