What and how schoolchildren learn in Israel. How visitors and local residents receive education in Israel Development of school education in Israel

Good afternoon my dear viewers, today we will talk about the features of the Israeli school. I will not tell you about the subjects that are studied in Israeli schools. Because I think this is a topic for a separate video. If you want, I can tell you about the subjects that are studied in Israeli schools. And of course, pay more attention to high school, because I work in high school. Tell you what a “matriculation certificate” is in an Israeli school. What exactly do students study, how, how are they graded, etc. Today I will only talk about the structure of the Israeli school. The Israeli school is 12 classes of compulsory education, that is, students study here from 6 years old to 18 years old. It happens that someone starts studying at the age of 7, I won’t go deeper either. Before starting first grade, students must attend compulsory kindergarten. Compulsory kindergarten prepares children for first grade.

So, the Israeli school is divided into 3 schools. The first is an elementary school, from grades 1-6, this is a completely separate school, which is in every microdistrict within walking distance from home. That is, the child can walk. In the worst case, it's a 15 minute walk, usually 5-10 minutes. The child can get to school and return on his own. After grade 6, the child goes to secondary school, which is called here “xativa” - this is grades 7,8,9. Usually this school is part of a higher school, a senior school. There are 2 such schools in our city; they are a separate complex of buildings. So, Khativa is part of a high school, which is called “tikhon”, translated as a gymnasium. Tikhon is high school from 10-12. What is special about these classes? In these classes, some subjects are compulsory, and some subjects the child can choose. Moreover, he can choose some specialization. For example, you can choose electronics or computers, or you can choose an in-depth study of a particular subject. You can choose a number of subjects that are not obligatory to study, choose economics, design, theater - these are all areas, specializations that are offered in high school. Why is this necessary? This does not provide a full-fledged specialty. But this gives the child the opportunity to test himself and see whether this is what he wants to do in life or not. It is possible that after studying at the theater department, he will understand that this is his calling, or perhaps that he should not do this. In any case, he will finish school and receive a matriculation certificate.

There are private schools in Israel. They are not so popular, there are not so many of them, there are probably about 20-30. Over the years, there are gradually more of them. This does not mean that these schools are better than regular schools. Sometimes they can be even worse. Usually these are schools of different directions. There are boarding schools. The child lives and studies there. I can’t say anything either, they are very different, they have their advantages and their disadvantages.

According to the cost of schooling. There is no cost to go to school because school is free. But there are different payments that are required from students. What does this amount consist of? It adds up, firstly, to the municipal tax that every student pays, because the schools are run by the city. And besides, this is called the “culture basket”. This means that they pay for excursions, for visiting the theater, for various events, and sometimes the school makes a centralized purchase of textbooks. This is cheaper for the student than if he buys it himself in the store. And in general, a fairly large amount accumulates, at least 1000 shekels, or even 2000. It really depends on the school.

Now let's talk about the features of the Israeli school. I worked in a Soviet school, and I studied in a Soviet school. I don’t know any other school, so I can only compare the Israeli school with the Soviet school before 1990, because I left in 1990. Maybe now everything has changed, and you will say that everything is exactly the same with us - I don’t know. I'll tell you what I think is special, and you can judge. When I arrived in Israel, students went to school in school uniforms. But it was soon cancelled. I don't know if this is good. I think it’s not very good, because a single form somehow imposes discipline. Like soldiers in the army. They don’t walk around wearing anything, they walk around in uniform, and this is apparently also an element of discipline. But this does not mean that students walk as they want. Each school has its own requirements for the student's appearance.

Second difference. There is no usual bell for class, but there is a melody. When I arrived, there were still calls, but very soon they were replaced by a beautiful melody. This means that when you leave the lesson and when you enter the lesson, a melody accompanies you, and not the jingling of a bell.

The third difference from the Soviet school, especially in the lower grades, is the free arrangement of desks. This does not mean that they are always located freely. But very often they take 2 desks, move them, and they get this square table. Children sit around him. And there is something good in this, and there is something bad. The good thing is that when there are creative lessons: modeling from plasticine, drawing - this is good, or some kind of labor lessons. If a child sits around such a square table, then some sit with their backs to the board, others sit with their sides to the board, and this is discouraging. This does not promote discipline.

In an Israeli school there are no diaries as we understand them. That is, the students have diaries. This diary is similar to a weekly planner, where students write down what they consider necessary. The teacher does not write anything in these diaries, parents do not sign such diaries, and grades are not given in them. The next difference is that there is no single textbook on the subject. Let's say that in one school they study using such a textbook, and in another school they study using a different textbook. There are many textbook options, and the school chooses which textbooks it will use. Of course, from the list of textbooks recommended by the Ministry of Education, and not just random ones. But this is very inconvenient. Why? If you have a younger brother and you want to leave him a textbook so as not to buy it. There is no need to do this. Because when he starts studying, there will be different textbooks, they change very often. In 2-3 years, the same class will study using a different textbook.

Second. If you moved to another city or another area and went to another school, it may turn out that they study using completely different textbooks. If this happens in the middle of the year, it means you will have to buy other textbooks, which seems very wrong and inconvenient to me. In Israel you cannot choose which school you want. You must study locally. If you go to primary school, then you should study where you live. You cannot go to some other school that your parents think is better. In an Israeli school, some subjects are taught at different levels. For example, mathematics and English can be taught at different levels. An easier option, a more difficult option and the most difficult. That is, students are distributed into different levels according to their grades in a given subject. This does not mean that if you study at the lowest level that you cannot rise. If you have excellent grades, you can take a special test and move on to a higher level. Conversely, if you study at a high level and do nothing, then you can slide to the very bottom.

And today he goes to Tel Aviv to find out how schools are organized in Israel.

My name is Aliya, I came to Israel 10 years ago. Now I am the mother of three schoolchildren, and the eldest son graduated from the ninth grade of the Russian embassy school, and the youngest - eight-year-old Lisa and five-year-old Katya - study at the private English-language school Tabitha in Tel Aviv. School life here begins early; from the age of five, children are required to attend some kind of educational institution; this is monitored by the Ministry of Education.

How the school works

Most Israeli children go to school close to home until high school - there are schools here in every microdistrict, and for the last two years of school they can go to a school with a special focus. We initially chose a private school because we wanted our children to have. In international schools (and in public Israeli schools too) less is required of children. First of all, they are trying to interest them. Teachers never tire of praising them for the smallest successes and highlighting their strengths first, rather than correcting their weaknesses. Another feature of international schools is the very diverse environment in which children grow up.

My girls have classmates from Jewish and Arab families in Israel, Slovenia, Italy, England and America. In elementary school, Tema had one best friend from Denmark, the other two from Nepal and South Africa. But the flip side of this was painful breakups. Since most of the students are children of diplomatic workers or journalists, employees of international organizations, they, as a rule, do not stay in the country for more than two or three years. How many tears were shed over the departure of friends!

On the other hand, children grow up without any national or religious prejudices. Although English Tabitha, as well as the Jerusalem Anglican International School, are considered Christian, they treat different traditions with great respect. Our school celebrates Christmas, Easter, Purim, Hanukkah, and Passover. In addition, they congratulate children from Muslim families on Islamic holidays and even give them an exemption from physical education during Ramadan, because those who are fasting cannot drink.

Homework

When Tema was little, he had difficulties with literacy. Once a week in third grade he received an assignment: and use them to write a short story. Tema wrote a fascinating story on the page, and I must say that he is an unsurpassed master at this, and all 10 of the searched words were written correctly, but the remaining words still had to be deciphered.

He could write a word without guessing a single letter in it (the English language sometimes allows such tricks). He could even depict the pronoun “I” (I) as “uy”, for example. I closed my eyes in horror when I saw these letters. In a Russian school he would have been given a bad mark for such work.

Miss Tina, on the other hand, emphasized all the vocabulary words spelled correctly and left the following comments: “Excellent work”, “Wonderful story”, “Artem, you’re great!” and something like that. And then, during a personal meeting, she always noted what great stories he comes up with. And, of course, homework in international private schools does not require long hours of sitting over a notebook. And there are no notebooks either.

For example, children are given leaflets with ready-made examples, often with illustrations. You just need to write the answer in the box. Thus, in five minutes Tema managed to solve 10 problems and examples and go for a walk. In the Russian school, where he moved in the fourth grade, it is necessary to write “Homework, problem number 52, page 10, Vasya has 5 apples. “, and so on, and my child could sit for an hour in tears over one simple task, which he had long ago solved in his mind, but to write it all carefully, retreating the required number of cells in each place, seemed to him an almost impossible task.

For the girls, everything is about the same, although they have not yet faced any serious homework. True, even five-year-old Katya’s teacher gives her some pieces of paper to take home that she needs to fill out - write letters and numbers in dots, for example, but she doesn’t need to bring it in for testing. This is done for yourself.

At a meeting at the beginning of the year, Lisa’s second-grade teacher generally announced to parents that she was against homework and believed that schoolchildren at this age were better off going to clubs in the evening or just hanging out on the playground. True, some parents immediately began to object and demand that at least their children be asked something. To be honest, I could hardly restrain myself from throwing something at these “enthusiasts.”

What do they feed at school?

The story with school food turned out to be a separate challenge for me. At the schools where my children go or went, there are no lunches, you have to bring something with you. Moreover, as is separately noted in the school rules, this should be nutritious, healthy food, and not chocolate bars. And this is a big problem because the school day lasts from 8:00 to 14:30. Since you can’t squeeze a hearty breakfast into a sleepy child in the morning, they are already very hungry by the first big break at 10 am. But what should you give a five- or eight-year-old child so that he has enough for two snacks? My kids don't really eat sandwiches. We tried pancakes, pies, cheesecakes, even dumplings.

They return most of it unchanged, because they are embarrassed to eat something that looks unusual for their classmates. In his youth, Tema did not have much of an appetite and every day he returned my lovingly prepared sandwiches unopened or with a trace of a timid bite. One day we didn't check his bag for a week and on Sunday we pulled out five identical sandwiches in various stages of decomposition.

The girls leave in the morning with backpacks filled with supplies - like on a week-long camping trip. And it’s not a fact that everything will go smoothly. There were cases when teachers called me and demanded that I urgently bring Katya something to eat, because she “... is crying and doesn’t even want to try what you put for her.” It was about a homemade meat pie. Liza’s teacher once specifically wrote to me that Liza was very sad and it bothered her.

I replied that maybe she was just hungry, because for several days she had not had time to eat her lunch in a half-hour break.

“Aliya, tell her that I allow you to eat in class. It’s okay, the main thing is that she feels good!”

In general, I believe that the Russian tradition of school lunches is a great benefit for parents and children. We really miss this here. Even where Katya went, there was no organized catering. Therefore, the parents took turns preparing food for the whole group (15 people) and bringing it to them for lunch. Our Russian buckwheat with goulash went with a bang - at the end of the year, my parents even combined their recipes into a separate book, which included sushi, chicken in coconut milk and many other exotic things.

School traditions

Every year, schools always hold charity fairs and festive concerts. An obligatory autumn event is International Food Day, when people from different communities prepare national dishes and treat everyone to them. Russian pancakes, Ukrainian dumplings and Belarusian potato pancakes are in constant demand and run out first. At these fairs I seriously expanded my gastronomic knowledge. The organization of the process lies with the parents, however, there are absolutely no obligations, and there are always those who want to participate - for example, bake a bowl of pies for the whole school. I rarely get involved in this because I am very busy at work, and no one judges me for it. The school often holds events that bring the entire community together. For example, at the end of the school year there is a tradition - a joint trip to the water park. Not only students come, but their parents and brothers and sisters. Very interesting experience! You can see a group of Russian-speaking mothers in beautiful swimsuits and waterproof makeup, and Arab mothers in burkinis and hijabs, having a nice conversation.

How to get into a good school

Getting to school is not so easy. Enrollment of children who will enter the preparatory class in September takes place in January. The interview with each child (and these are kids four to five years old) lasts at least half an hour. The competition is quite solid - three people per place. Moreover, even the fact that older brothers and sisters study at the same school does not provide special privileges. The strong part of the program is the languages. Teaching, a significant part of the teachers are native speakers. From the preparatory class, children also learn Hebrew (it is easy to learn because it sounds on the street) and Arabic.

Last year I was faced with the fact that I couldn’t check my first-grader’s homework - when I opened a notebook with Arabic script and didn’t even know where to start reading. From the fifth grade, another additional foreign language, Spanish or French, is added.

Mathematics, on the one hand, is simpler, and on the other, more difficult than in Russian schools. For example, in their second year they take multiplication and simple fractions. On the third - negative numbers.

How do parent meetings work?

There are no parent meetings in the Russian sense. Once every quarter, meetings are held with the teacher, during which for 15 minutes the teacher talks about the student’s strengths and weaknesses and advises what to pay attention to. From the first such meetings, I left, swollen with parental pride, until I realized that almost everyone was praised. The main task of the teacher is to find why. At the end of the year, a Student Report is issued - a detailed report that reflects all the progress and successes during the school year. The breakdown of successes is very detailed. For each subject, a separate plate is given, where each required skill is assessed on a four-point scale. For example, the ability to write numbers correctly is satisfactory. The ability to add within ten is good. Separate recommendations are given for the summer.

Why do children love school so much?

I have the feeling that this education system takes more into account the differences between children. Those who do are given thick books to take home. For those who don’t, it’s more subtle, with more pictures and less text. If a child says that he does not want to perform at a matinee, no one will force him. They try to present the material in such a way that the kids find it interesting. I must say that they love going to school.

Little Tema used to even try to hide the fact that he was sick so that he wouldn’t be left at home. And he asked, burning in the heat: “Mom, give me garlic, I’ll eat it and get better right away. There’s no way I’m going to miss school tomorrow - I have a report about bears there.”

The girls demanded that I send them to school camp for the holidays. After all, there are friends and fun. By the way, when Lisa got sick one day on her birthday, the whole class wrote her cards. We received 25 cards with approximately the following text: “Lisa, come back soon, we miss you. You are a good friend and a very beautiful girl."

My mother has been working in a Russian school for 30 years. I know how this system works firsthand - I grew up in a school atmosphere. As a child, I knew everything that was happening in the teachers' lounge, and at the university all conversations with my mother came down to conversations about school.

We have been living in Israel for several years now, and my eldest daughter is already in second grade. I will try to tell you what most impressed my still rather Russian mentality in the Israeli school system.

1. We had a gan howa (compulsory kindergarten) at the school. According to Israeli law, all children from the age of 5 are required to go to Gan Hova. In our case, this kindergarten was not just in the school building, but in the wing where first-graders studied. During breaks, they played, drew or walked together.

2. At the age of 6 we went to first grade. The teacher who was in the kindergarten became our first teacher, and during breaks the first-graders played with the new children from the Gan Khova kindergarten.

3. I would like to note that the concept of “1st grade” in Israel is understood as the “first parallel”, and school years are numbered with letters. Thus, 1st grade in Israel will be kita aleph, 2nd grade - kita bet, 3rd - kita gimel, etc. in order of the Hebrew alphabet. If a school has several classes in one parallel, then they will be distinguished by numbers, i.e. Kita Aleph 1, Kita Aleph 2, Kita Bet 1, etc.

4. School begins on September 1, as in most countries, but holidays are not postponed. If a holiday falls on a weekend, then no one gives an additional day off.

5. Instead of a school bell, a cheerful modern Hebrew song plays. Children run to class and sing along. The song changes 3-4 times a year.

6. During the lineup, schoolchildren sit on an asphalt square; no one forces them to stand still for an hour. Only when the Israeli National Anthem plays does everyone stand up and sing along.

7. All holidays are calculated according to the Jewish calendar, which can vary greatly from year to year. There are no separate holidays in Israeli schools. All holidays are Jewish holidays, to which several additional days may be added. The biggest holidays of these are Hanukkah (December) and Passover (March-April).

8. Most schools have a large well-kept yard, trees, lawn, sports ground, benches, etc. During recess, children play football, jump rope, play checkers, etc. During recess you can ask for various equipment. Teachers also often go out into the yard, drink coffee and watch the children.

9. Some schools install solar panels or a solar boiler on the roof to heat water, but our school does not have this.

10. Phones are prohibited at school, i.e. You can’t take it out of your backpack at all during lessons. During breaks, you can only use the phone to call your parents. Playing or watching videos is strictly prohibited. The teacher can take away the gadget, and parents will be called to school.

11. Most children do not wear backpacks, but carry them on wheels. There are a lot of textbooks, they are heavy, why “break” a child’s back?

12. There is a not very strict, but compulsory school uniform. A plain T-shirt with the school symbol and plain pants: leggings, jeans (not torn), trousers, etc. On Friday, any uniform is required: skirts, dresses, torn jeans, t-shirts with an open belly, etc. Girls love to dress up.

13. All schools run for six days. School starts on Sunday and ends on Friday. Friday is a short day. Saturday (Shabbat) is a day off. Homework is not assigned on weekends, because... This is considered a holiday on which you cannot work.

14. They are also a fact: all children at school are insured against accidents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The only exception is summer holidays.

15. By the way, summer holidays in Israel are only 2 months. Children study fully until the end of June.

16. Almost every morning, after the bell rings for first period, the school principal comes out and greets all the students who were late, asking them why they didn't arrive on time?

17. 6th graders are on duty at the pedestrian crossings closest to the school before the first and last lessons. They don't let kids cross the road until all the cars have stopped.

18. When it rains heavily in the morning, the school director comes out instead of the children and stops the cars to see the children off.

19. My daughter studies on the first floor, and from the third grade (Kita Gimel) she will study on the second. Recently, a girl from the third grade broke her leg and cannot go up to the second floor. The school decided to switch classrooms: now my daughter is temporarily studying on the second floor, and that girl’s class is on the first. This is a very high indicator of respect for children.

20. On the last day of school last year, teachers gave the children a surprise. 5-6 inflatable trampolines were installed in the school yard. The children were in seventh heaven!

21. The first 6 years are primary school and students learn mainly from workbooks, which are purchased at the expense of their parents.

22. 1-2 times a year the whole school goes out for July. Tiyul is usually a hike in nature. Children stay for the whole day, and older children stay overnight. Another 1-2 times a year, children go to the theater or museum.

23. The attitude of Israelis towards schoolchildren is described in. An amazing story, very touching, I recommend everyone read it.

Complete me in the comments, write about your school.

A foreigner can enroll in an Israeli secondary school after the naturalization process - obtaining a residence permit or citizenship. Education in the country is offered secular and religious, paid and free, and for those wishing to make a study tour a free tour is provided.

Israeli school – for whom are the doors open?

About 10% of GDP per year is spent on education in Israel, which is approximately three times more than Russian funding. One of the reasons for the strong financial support for schools is absorption - the process of infusing new children into a different living environment, language and culture. Israel is a state that offers all Jews of the Diaspora and, accordingly, their children to start life in their historical homeland. Therefore, the most important condition for admission to Israeli schools will be the intention of repatriation. Studying during a vacation or business trip of one of the parents is not possible. In the latter case, admission to the school at the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv (Geula Street, building 32) is provided.

For a long-term stay in Israel (you can stay no more than three months a year without a visa), you will need one of the following documents:

  • temporary residence permit;
  • permanent residence permit;
  • darkona - passport of a citizen of this country.

Obtaining a residence permit category B1 (work visa), issued for one year, usually does not entitle the child to enroll in school. You will need to either obtain category A1, or intend to comply with the Israeli “Repatriation Law” of 1950, which gives the right to gradually obtain citizenship. This opportunity applies to any Jew, as well as to his child, grandchild, spouse. Nationality is confirmed by documents and only through the female line: it is required to prove that there was (is) a Jewish woman in the family.

There is another way of naturalization - conversion. This is a procedure for the spiritual transformation of any person on our planet into a Jew, where the basis of such transformation is the sincere desire of the future hero (who has undergone conversion) to fully join Jewry. You will need at least a year of studying in your home country to successfully pass the exams. After accepting conversion, the ger has all the rights to repatriation.

School system in Israel

There are three types of schools in the country: state, with a religious bias (Haredi) and state-religious. The maximum period of study is 12 years, and it is divided into three cycles:

  • primary (6-12 years old, from 1st to 6th grades);
  • middle (12-15 years old, from 7th to 9th grades);
  • senior (15-18 years old, from 10th to 12th grades).

Regardless of the type of education chosen by parents, school education in Israel is conducted in Hebrew. The exceptions are two categories: Arab and Russian. The former are intended primarily for Arabs who emigrated to the country, while Russian schools in Israel are private and are part of the system of additional, rather than compulsory education. Some Russian-language primary schools, such as Gordon in Petah Tikva, are trying to change the curriculum for former immigrants by introducing Russian as a compulsory language, in addition to Hebrew and English.

Training begins, as in Russia, on September 1, however, it is not necessary to give flowers to teachers. Another difference from our schools is the absence of homework in the younger group: the entire educational process takes place directly in class. Training is free, but you will need to purchase uniforms, notebooks, textbooks and writing materials. The teaching load for a first-grader is 31 lessons per week (Saturday is the only day off, Friday is a short school day). Summer holidays are July and August, and in spring and autumn students rest for 18 days.

Academic performance is assessed on a 100-point scale, where the domestic three correspond to approximately 50 points. If parents wish, after the second year of study, their children can take exams for transfer to a special school for the gifted. Its completion is considered a more prestigious result.

Alternatives to public schools

The fundamental difference between religious and state-religious secondary educational institutions is a more in-depth study of the Tanakh (Torah). Many Israelis belong to the category of Orthodox Jews, so they initially prefer this type of education for their children.

There are private boarding schools, about two hundred of them, and tuition in them is paid: the average price is 1,200 shekels per month (about $300). In addition to the high cost, the lack of compulsory transport - a bus - will also be a disadvantage. Parents will have to meet and pick up their child themselves. Private schools include institutions with traditional education, with an environmental and anthroposophical focus. The latter, the so-called Waldorf schools in Israel, build the educational process on the principles described in the works of the philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Today there are 22 such institutions, where, in addition to general knowledge, the search for oneself, one’s spirituality, and its predominance over the material principle is promoted.

There are also democratic schools in the country. They received their name for the right of students to participate according to the majority principle in shaping the educational process. Democratic schools are more affordable (about $160 per month), and children who could not find a common language with their peers in public schools are often transferred here.

Separately from all others, there are schools of the Shuwu system. There are about seventy of them, including kindergartens, and their main purpose is to help repatriates adapt. Here there is a gradual elimination of the usual way of life, holidays, for example, the New Year tree, and their replacement with similar Israeli ones. Education is cheap, there are after-school programs and summer camps.

Difficulties in learning

You can enroll in a public school in Israel only at your place of residence. Private, democratic systems accept Shuvu without reference to registration. The documents you will need (if available) are an Israeli citizen's passport or teudat zehut - an identity card. Difficulties may arise of a psychological and linguistic nature. To solve personal problems, at the request of parents, it is proposed to use the services of a child psychologist. It is easier for children to comprehend unfamiliar Hebrew than for parents, especially from elementary school. Additional linguistic studies in Israel will also help: attending courses or ulpans.

A separate educational program for children is the NAALE system. It offers high school students whose parents are eligible for aliyah to complete their studies in Israel and receive a bagrut - a matriculation certificate. It is recognized all over the world and is a good chance to enter a prestigious university.

A student at the NAALE school in Israel retains his citizenship, but receives special status as a student from the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs. High school students who have completed 8th or 9th grade in Russia but have passed preliminary exams in their home country are accepted. Tuition, accommodation, food, and medical insurance are free for the student. Telephone communication with parents is also partially compensated - high school students are alone in Israel. After a year of study, airfare home during the holidays is paid.

Pre-repatriation study tour

Israel has a Taglit program that invites young people of Jewish origin to visit the country for a 10-day visit. Place of residence does not matter, all that is important is confirmation of Jewishness and age from 18 to 26 years inclusive. The program is free and has been supported by the government since 1999. During the trip, guests are introduced to the history and culture of the country, and are given excursions to famous places throughout its territory. A deposit ($100) is required, which is returned upon completion of the tour.

If you have Jewish roots or simply a sincere desire to become part of the Israeli people, there will be no problems with your child enrolling in school. Parents are guaranteed high quality education, a variety of programs and financial accessibility for their children’s education.

 

It might be useful to read: