You cannot have your cake and eat it, too
Hiddush supports Initiative to cut support for school networks
You cannot have your cake and eat it, too: to claim on the one hand that the ultra-Orthodox educational networks are fulfilling their commitment to teach 100% of the core studies, and on the other hand to refuse participation in external objective examinations.
02/06/2022 20:08
Tags: Avigdor Liberman · Haredi education · Haredim · Core curricular studies · Core curriculum
There is no more just and vital initiative, than the recently published plans by Minister of Finance Avigdor Lieberman to reduce funding for ultra-Orthodox education networks by 25% (at an estimated NIS 1 billion per year) under the next Economic Arrangements Law. This is a conditional budget cut, which can be avoided if the students of these institutions successfully pass external tests in Hebrew, English and mathematics. Parenthetically, demand for the inclusion of core studies in ultra-Orthodox schools was already incorporated into the famous "Status Quo" letter to Agudath Israel from 1947.
Not surprisingly, politicians as well as the ultra-Orthodox and nationalist religious media immediately reacted in anger and protest, describing the initiative as “an evil decree against Torah study". Any attempt to apply procedures of good governance, enforce the law or criticize Orthodox institutions is automatically met with the Pavlovian-conditioned response as “hatred of the Ultra-Orthodox” and “antisemitism.” English-speaking readers may be familiar with the battle over core curricular studies from the fierce disputes currently raging between education and licensing authorities and the ultra-Orthodox leadership in New York State, London and elsewhere.
An analysis by Hiddush of results of the GEMS exams in 2017 (the last year in which the exams were held) tells the whole story: most of the schools for boys under the control of Shas showed student achievements that were in the bottom tenth percentile or close to it in the subjects of mathematics and Hebrew language. On the other hand, most of the girls' schools, in which core studies are generally taught, achieved similar results to students in State education in these subjects.
most of the schools for boys under the control of Shas showed student achievements that were in the bottom tenth percentile or close to it in the subjects of mathematics and Hebrew language. On the other hand, most of the girls' schools, in which core studies are generally taught, achieved similar results to students in State education in these subjects.
You cannot have your cake and eat it, too: to claim on the one hand that the ultra-Orthodox educational networks are fulfilling their commitment to teach 100% of the core studies, and on the other hand to refuse participation in external objective examinations. If the ultra-Orthodox leadership wants to inculcate ignorance of core studies among generations of young boys, so as to ensure that they remain in Yeshivas and would lack the tools necessary for a modern economy and sustaining the needs of their families – with all due respect, let them bear the cost of this education by themselves.
This is particularly so, because all senior economists agree, that if this matter is not rectified and if ultra-Orthodox males do not join the work force, Israeli economic wellbeing will be at jeopardy as well. The refusal to cooperate with external testing stems first and foremost from the clear realization of what their findings will reveal, and a preference for continuing to make-believe, while perpetuating ignorance in basic areas of knowledge. This, then, is why the Minister of Finance’s initiative is so important and so urgent, and why the demand that the funding of the education networks of the ultra-Orthodox parties should be based on an external and objective examination of their commitment to truly teach core studies is so justified.