The Academic Achievements of Arab Israeli Pupils
The Academic Achievements of Arab Israeli Pupils
This 2017 research study by Nachum Blass shows that despite significant disparities in education budget between the Jewish and Arab Israeli sectors, the scholastic achievements of Arab Israeli pupils have greatly improved.
For many years, the Arab Israeli (Arab) education system suffered neglect and discrimination reflected in large disparities relative to the Jewish (Hebrew) sector system — both in terms of resources and in terms of academic achievements. Although these disparities continue to exist, evidence has emerged in recent years that the gaps are narrowing. The level of formal education attained by teachers in the Arab system is equal, and sometimes even superior, to that of teachers in the Hebrew sector; the number of pupils in Arab classrooms is approaching that of pupils in Hebrew sector classrooms; enrollment rates in pre-primary and postprimary education, which lagged behind the Hebrew sector rates, are now almost identical to them. The last few years have also witnessed gains in the percentage of Arab Israelis who are pursuing higher education and earning academic degrees. The gains are particularly striking when one compares pupils of similar socioeconomic backgrounds. The road to true equality is still long, but the system is headed in the right direction.