- In the field of education, the achievements of Hebrew-speaking students surpass those of Arabic-speaking counterparts, but the gaps narrow when comparing students of similar socioeconomic background.
- Teaching hours and wage payments to teachers are markedly higher in Hebrew-speaking schools than in the Arabic-speaking education system at every socioeconomic level, even though the gaps have narrowed in recent years. Furthermore, resource allocation is less progressive in the Arabic-speaking education system than in the Hebrew-speaking system, especially at the upper-secondary level.
- One measure of quality of teaching is the “Bagrut” matriculation scores of teachers at the end of their upper-secondary studies. This indicator is higher in Arabic-speaking schools than in the Hebrew-speaking system at every socioeconomic level. According to this indicator, the quality of teachers entering the education system has been falling in the past decade, particularly among Arabic-speakers.
- Given the low wage level of teachers in Israel in international comparison, it seems possible to strengthen teachers’ status and attract highly qualified teachers to this profession by raising their hourly wage, particularly among beginning teachers. This is notable in view of the absence of a per-hour wage increase in reforms implemented thus far, which were based solely on increasing teachers’ labor input and, consequently, their total wage.
Section from the Bank of Israel Annual Report for 2021: The gaps between the Jewish and Arab education systems in scope and quality of educational inputs
Section from the Bank of Israel Annual Report for 2021:
The gaps between the Jewish and Arab education systems in scope and quality of educational inputs
16/03/2022