War on the Core Curriculum or Abolishing 12th Grade: The Parties' Promises in the Battle Over Education
Ahead of the elections, Israeli parties are presenting education plans that include promises to reduce class sizes, raise teacher salaries, establish a core curriculum, and reform early childhood education. The central dispute concerns pedagogical sovereignty: who will determine what children learn—the state, the local authority, or parents. Among the proposals: Yoav Kisch's 'New Deal' program, education vouchers, and the elimination of parental payments.
Ahead of the Knesset elections, Israeli parties are presenting diverse education plans that include promises to reduce classroom overcrowding, raise teacher salaries, establish a core curriculum, reform early childhood education, and change the structure of high school years. In Likud, Education Minister Yoav Kisch presents the 'New Deal in Education' program worth 15 billion shekels over a decade, which includes reducing class sizes to about 20 students. Other parties set more ambitious goals: The Reservists-Economic Party offers 18 students per class, Together offers an average of 20 students per class alongside a starting salary of 12,000 shekels for teachers. The central dispute concerns pedagogical sovereignty: who will determine the study content—the state, the local authority, the principal, or the parents. Parties like Religious Zionism-Identity and Noam advocate for education vouchers and free choice, while Yashar, Together, and The Democrats propose national councils to determine a binding core curriculum. On the issue of Haredi education, Yisrael Beiteinu leads a strict line demanding a mandatory core curriculum law, while Shas and Noam oppose budgetary coercion. In early childhood, The Democrats promise to eliminate parental payments, and Together offers free daycare for reservist families. In high school structure, Together and Yisrael Beiteinu propose turning 12th grade into a preparatory year. The article notes that United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit, the Joint List, and Ra'am did not submit their positions by the time of publication.