Rowad for Higher Education

Integration in higher education is a challenge for students in general, especially Arab ones as a minority in Israel, with many challenges and obstacles in their way. Most start their journey to higher education at a very young age compared to Jewish students who after their military service travel around the world. This has a massive influence in shaping their personality and on choosing the appropriate field of study. In addition, Arab pupils in their elementary, junior high and high school have to study three languages: Classical Arabic, Hebrew and English- besides their mother tongue- spoken Arabic. They also have to pass the psychometric test which is rather an obstacle for most students in their acceptance of academic education. Furthermore, students do not always decide what and where to study and sometimes their parents have the last word in what their children should study.

Researches show that only 15.3% of the Arab students are integrated in higher education. Many students even decide to learn abroad. The problem becomes bigger when looking at the statistics concerning students who go for 2nd and 3rd academic title. The diagram gets thinner. "Rowad" a program initiated by Higher Education Council and is in cooperation with the Rothschild Foundation and other foundations and other organizations came to raise the awareness for higher education and suggest solutions that can ease every student's way through the academy, starting at schools where the coordinators pass workshops in many subjects for pupils, personal consultation, exposure to the academy through organized tours, parents' evenings and scholarships. All of that in order to show them that nothing is impossible and that there is always a way to join the academy according to their tendencies and abilities.