Dramatic increase in Talmud Torah students in decade: 57 percent

The secularists continue to lose the majority in the state of Israel: only 52 percent of students in the basic education system in 2010 studied in state or national – religious schools. In the near future it is expected this narrow majority will be canceled due to the significant increase in the number of hareidi and Arab students.

According to the newspaper Ma'ariv, the annual report of the Taub Center – "Situation of the State: Society, Economy and Policy" - shows that over the last decade (2010-2000) the number of students in Talmud Torah and haredi education schools grew by ‭ 57 percent, and ‭by 37 percentage in the Arab education, and students studying in the educational systems which are considered non-Zionist are nearly half of all students in that age group.

In contrast, public religious education increased by‭ 11 percent, while public education increased by ‭ 0.3 percent only. The report's authors argue that demographic circumstances explain the regression in student achievement.

According to Ma'ariv, the findings of the report who that student achievements of haredim and Arabs are lower than those of students from Third World countries. It should be noted that hareidi students, representing 20 percent of the basic education system, do not participate in international exams. "In this system the core curriculum for boys do not continue beyond the eighth grade ‭, and what has been learned by then is minimal at best. The vast majority of boys do not study science or English, and mathematics is taught at a level which does not approach what children from other Western countries study," the authors write.

"Given the fact that today about half of the children are Arab or ultra-Orthodox, and given the very few achievements in the core curriculum, which are lower than the Third World, the present demographic changes reflect social-economical development – which will not be viable when these children grow up ‭."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!