Education in Israel

This article is about the education in Israel.

Computer Science Faculty Building
in The Israel Institute of Technology

General information

Israel's literacy rate is 96.9%, the highest in the Middle East.

Israeli education system

The education system in Israel, up to secondary education level, consists of three tiers: the primary education (grades 1-6), followed by a middle school (gr. 7-9) and then high school (gr. 10-12). Compulsory education is from grades 1 to 9.

Secondary education consists mostly of preparation for the Israeli matriculation exams (the "bhinot bagrut"). These are made up of a multitude of subject matter exams covering various academic disciplines. Within each subject matter, the difficulty level of a given test is expressed in "units of study" ("yehidot limud") for the particular subject - from 1 to 5; i.e. a 5-units exam in mathematics is significantly more difficult than a 1-unit exam in mathematics.

Any student with a passing mark on the minimum required matriculation subjects (Hebrew language, English language, mathematics, scripture and literature), a total of at least 21 earned matriculation units, and at least one subject tested and passed at the 5 units level of difficulty receives a full matriculation certificate. In 2003, 56.4% of Israeli High School graduates received a matriculation certificate - 57.4% in the Hebrew sector and 50.7% in the Arab sector.[1]

After secondary education, students are generally conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces, but may request an extension of the conscription date to study in a college or university. Those who study in a university at this stage generally do so under a program called atuda, where their Bachelor's Degree is paid for by the army. They are however obligated to sign a contract with the army extending their service by 2-3 years.

After service in the Israel Defense Forces, any Israeli with a full matriculation certificate can proceed to higher education, as in any country. Universities generally require a certain amount of matriculation units (as well as a certain grade average)and a good grade in the "psychometric" aptitude/reasoning exam (similar to the American SAT). All universities, and some colleges, are subsidized by the state, and students pay only a small part of the actual cost as tuition.

Israel has eight universities, one of them open (see also: List of universities and colleges in Israel).

Comparisons

While quite small in size, Israel by far has the largest amount of Yale University alumni in the Middle East, one of the most prestigious and competitive schools in the world. [2]

Webometrics Rankings

Top ten universities in the Middle East according to Webometrics.[3]

1. Hebrew University of Jerusalem (145)

2. Weizmann Institute of Science (207)

3. Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (231)

4. Tel Aviv University (249)

5. Bilkent University (410)

6. Middle East Technical University (451)

7. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (487)

8. Bar-Ilan University (551)

9. University of Haifa (553)

10. Bogazici University (572)

Matriculation recipients by city

Below is a table illustrating the percentage of matriculation certificate recipients in Israel's largest cities, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics.[4] (true for the graduation year of 2002)

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