What happened to the "People of the Book"? The data the elections managed to hide

Nachman Shai analyzes the results of the PISA and Meitzav tests, which reveal that Israel has returned to the achievement levels of 2000 and ranks at the bottom of OECD countries. Despite having the second-largest education budget (nearly 100 billion shekels), the shortage of qualified teachers and the prioritization of budgets for ultra-Orthodox and religious education at the expense of core subjects are causing a lag. Shai calls for a change in national priorities.

In his column, Nachman Shai analyzes the results of the PISA and Meitzav tests, which were published while the political system was busy with the closing of party lists. The data reveals that Israel has returned to the achievement levels of 2000, when measurements began, and ranks at the bottom of OECD countries. 7,355 eighth-grade students from 215 schools were tested in mathematics, reading, and science. Shai notes that the education budget, the second largest after the defense budget (nearly 100 billion shekels), is not the problem, but rather the enormous shortage of teachers: 31,000 teachers in core subjects have not undergone proper training. He criticizes the declared priority of Education Minister Yoav Kisch to foster religious and ultra-Orthodox education and invest in Bible and heritage, arguing that these subjects do not produce scientists, engineers, or doctors. Shai compares Israel's situation to the model of Sparta versus Athens, stating that there is no Sparta without Athens – there will be no prosperous and secure state without broad education. He calls for real investment in teachers and education from infancy, asserting that the resources exist but there is a lack of those who know how to use them properly.