Ruad
Ruad
Youth in Arab communities complete their formal education in twelfth grade,
however, they still lack the necessary skills and tools for optimal integration into
Israeli society.
In established Jewish towns, 21.5% of youth pursue a B.A., whereas only 9% of
youth in Arab communities do the same. This is one of the significant findings in
the report issued by the Adva Center in January 2017. Although increasing the
proportion of members of Arab society in Israeli universities and colleges is a
stated goal of the Israeli government, and although specific targets for such an
increase were set in the previous governmental five-year plan (2010), a
substantial disparity between the present status and the government’s objective
remains, and there is still much work to be done. According to data provided by
the Israeli Council for Higher Education, the percentage of Arab students among
B.A. students is 15.2%, despite the Arab population constituting over 20% of the
general population.
There are a lot of obstacles hindering the integration of youth from Arab
communities into the academic and professional worlds: Multiple languages
barrier, Psychometric Entrance Test barrier, Age barrier, Information and
awareness barriers, Financial barrier, Sectorial professions barrier,
Psychological barrier, Gender-related barrier and more. Attached appendix
describing those major obstacles.
The Ruad program operates in 60 settlements in Arab, Druze, Bedouins, and
Circassian communities and provides services to 17,000 young adults each
year. In each community there is a local coordinator who meets with young
adults at schools, higher education fairs, and in private meetings. In the group
meetings, the coordinators reveal curricula, academic institutions, and
scholarship tracks for the young people. while in the personal meetings, the
coordinators try to break down the personal barriers facing the young person on
his way to higher education.
Ruad is the national program for making higher education available in Arab
society and Aluma operates it for the Council for Higher Education in accordance
with a government decision on this subject. The Edmond de Rothschild
Foundation and the local authorities in which the program operates are also
important partners of the program.