The parents are mostly apathetic or unlearned themselves. And the students should strike the schools for the poor education they receive. No one really cares and that is a pity. Teachers and managers of schools seem more concerned with putting on lousy shows for the holidays or graduation. Teach the course and throw out disruptive students. If their parents complain, then call the police.

Tamir is the anthesis of "The buck stops here". Instead of acknowledging the complex interplay of factors that have caused this decline in math scores, she scapegoats the teachers. If the teachers are really that incompetent, why hasn't she attempted to improve the quality of the teachers? Has she visited schools and classrooms and discussed this issue? Are Israeli schools spending enough time on math instruction? Is there a national math curriculum that has been researched? Has there been ann organized and ongoing system of in-service training for teachers? Is the problem present in all schools or mainly in the poorer schools? Since previous math testing were not as bad, have the teachers suddenly become incompetent? Are the schools and Israeli society aware that the ongoing stress from the tenuous of life in Israel, the relentless rocket attacks from Gaza, and the existential threats posed by Iran are also interfering with learning? Have the schools hired more counselors and psychologists to help students and parents deal with this stress? In other words, the educational establishment is just not made up of teachers and like any other organization, the fish ususally stinks from the head down.

Simply the reason is because their teachers don't know the subjects well either. when a math teacher can't correctly add up the score on a test that says something about the quality of teachers we have. When a science teacher says that the rubber handle on a screwdriver is so that it doesn't get hot!(real answer is so that it doesn't conduct electricity) or that there is no such temperature measurement as Faregnheit there is something horribly wrong with the teacher! Our students can only be as good as the quality of teachers that they are exposed to! lousy teachers=lousy failing students! Get rid of teachers that don't know the subjects they were hired to teach in the first place, then lower class size,seperate the gifted and remedial students from classes and teach them at their level. raise salaries as well!

- More money for teachers - More money for school supplies - More programs for after school oops did I go over my limit?

Raise them abroad so they won't be dumb Jews, then return to Israel. That's what my family is doing. When Jewish kids in every Western country are getting far superior educations, you're really messing with your children's futures and professional aspirations by sending them to an Israeli "school." You should hear what happens when my kids in high school speak with their cousins who attend Israeli high schools. Really pathetic. These Israeli public schools kids know nothing--even about their own country's history.

Do what we routinely do here in the U.S. - lower the standards! It works every time.

are so successful around the world in the technological/scientific sector in spite of this information. Thank G-D.

Chemistry class, when the average test score was 40%, then 50% was a B and 60% or higher was an A. It wouldn't do to fail everyone since no one could manage to get a 70% on some tests.

this is a shunda. All educators in Israel should hang their heads in shame. But, liberal education policies always lead to reduced competency, because liberals hate competition, testing and anything that makes sense.

I have lived here since 1983 and I am appalled at those results. When I look at my grandkids math books, I cannot understand anything. I do not understand the logic in the way those poor kids are taught. A simple multiplication or a division become a ridiculous enterprise!!!I do not understand what they are getting at.My grand daughter in kita vav was given an exercise where there was a missing information. I saw it straight away of course but a child? how is she is supposed to see that? At that age a child is confident that the teacher isn't trying to trick her...What is that kind of exercise trying to achieve? what is it doing to the kids psychologically? This is only one example...No wonder my students in university tell me at times that somes questions are"makhshilot". Now I understand where it comes from! HELP

SCHOOLS UNDERFUNDED TEACHERS UNDERPAID Both problems that could be hellped alot if we abandoned the coalition political system and learned to balance the books better and stop being so wasteful. Just weeks after the education budget was slashed kadima held their primaries which Livni won and when she was trying to put together a coalition to avoid an election she offered Shas tens of millions of dollars not including anything they get in the next budget and thats just to buy them into government. If there are millions of dollars floating around to buy coalition partners then why is there no money for the schools? CLASSES OVERCROWDED When the class is to big some children are going to find themselves with work they dont understand and no teachers to help them. THANKS TO YULI TAMIR THE EDUCATION SYSTEM POLITICISED Yuli Tamir a founder of Peace Now took some zionist issues out of schools and has now replaced that with palestinian nakba propoganda. The history books the kids now read will say Israel caused the palestinian nakba. How can politics be allowed to enter the class room? Everything about the system is messed up and if it wasn't for the army which teaches skills to many of these kids who slipped through the net in school Israel would be in a bigger mess than it allready is.

The kids are disruptive and there are not punishments. Maybe Tamir should let us punish them.

Hours for math have been cut. Most schools are only giving 4 hours a week instead of five. Maybe they should even give 7. English hours have also been cut.

The current system is not so good !. At the same time Teachers woes being plenty (awfully poorly paid; no proper benefits, lack of proper funds blah blah !!!). Ofcourse change in grass roots level is warranted. Revision of funding for teachers training as well their salaries is highly warranted. If you want a brighter future for your children, teachers need to be taken care of; they SHOULD BE PAID well enough to lead better lives; Remember "Better Cheese come from better Cows"; Quality can breed quality NO COMPROMISES ON THIS ISSUE ; Being a person of Indian (Hodu) origins ; I know how strong is INDIAN system of education; Well the number of trained, well educated professionals & academies are plenty abound in INDIA. So why not encourage good Educational Academy send in here well trained Math & Science teachers to educate students here in ISRAEL. INDIA ISRAEL has a good co-operation in Industry, Agriculture and in Defense sectors. So why not take they encourage take help; Lastly , privitasation of Education which might bring better results too. A stiff competition between government and Private education might have a healthier outcome. Clearly drastic steps are warranted for a brighter Childs education !