Over Half of Israelis Give Negative Rating to Education System, Call It Unequal

New data from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), based on the 2025 Social Survey, reveals that 51% of Israelis aged 20 and over give a negative rating to the education system, while 42% rate it positively. Only 9% think it functions 'very well'. Meanwhile, only 49% believe the system is equitable. However, parents are satisfied with their children's institutions: 91% of pre-kindergarten parents and 89% of kindergarten parents are satisfied. 36% would start changes in the education system.

New data from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), based on the Social Survey published today (Tuesday) for 2025, reveals that 51% of Israelis aged 20 and over give a negative rating to the education system, while 42% rate its functioning positively. Only 9% of the public think the system functions 'very well', 33% defined its functioning as 'good', 32% as 'not so good', and 19% as 'not good at all'. Additionally, only 49% believe the system provides services equitably to the entire population. However, when parents were asked about their children's educational institutions, a more positive picture emerged: 91% of parents of pre-kindergarten children and 89% of kindergarten parents are satisfied with the kindergarten, and 80% of elementary school parents and 79% of high school parents are satisfied with the school. 36% of Israelis said that if they could choose, the education system is the public service where they would start changes, a higher rate than any other field examined. The data indicate weaknesses: among elementary school parents, 28% are dissatisfied with the level of teaching and 24% with physical conditions; in high school, 27% are dissatisfied with teaching level, 22% with physical conditions, and 21% with school location. Private lessons have become common: 35% of elementary parents and 39% of middle and high school parents reported private tutoring. Only 13% of elementary parents and 19% of high school parents think remote learning was effective. Compared to a decade earlier, satisfaction with kindergartens has improved, but there has been no improvement in teaching level, and the rate of students receiving private lessons has increased compared to 2015.