Education Ministry: Abolish matriculation exams in history, literature, citizenship and Bible

The Ministry of Education will abolish the matriculation exams in history, literature, citizenship and the Bible, and they will be replaced by internal assignments and multidisciplinary work. Under the new program, schools will be allowed to choose the teaching method of the four subjects '. "We decided on the change to give students a chance to stop memorizing, and really get interested," Education Minister Shasha-Bitton said at a news conference.

Regarding the teachers 'union's opposition to the new program, the Minister of Education replied that the teachers' terms of employment would not be harmed, and she expressed confidence that the teachers would support the program after studying it in depth.
The decision provoked much outrage among teachers in those subjects. "Has anyone given the opinion that not all Israeli students in the theoretical classes, let alone more difficult students, can really stand research work? The faculty will immediately open for copies and purchased works," said Sarit Scherzer, a Bible teacher at Golda High School in Ness Ziona.
Along with the fear of the devaluation of the professions in high school, teachers fear a devaluation of the status of the spiritual professions in the country, and harm to students.
Matriculation exam, archive. "This is a reform that will increase the gaps" (Photo: Hagai Dekel)
"This reduction is always welcome, but not at the expense of the humanities," Brodner added. "Once it is not an external exam, there is contempt. If you decide on an internal grade - then it will apply to all professions, or everyone will be on an external exam."
A teacher who teaches in a high school in the north of the country also expressed concern that students will no longer be tested in the humanities. "Tests are not pleasant, but they are bad enough to make most people learn. Without external maturity the students will not invest. I am also troubled by the message that learning so far has not been significant. To present everything that has been bad in the past is a problem."
Scherzer presented another problem with the reform - the fact that they did not train teachers for the expected change. "I hope they give us an appropriate answer and train us before we are thrown into this murky water."
Those who welcomed the reform in the matriculation exams are the heads of the universities. For years they tried to reduce the number of external matriculation exams and focus on math, English and language. However, they encountered resistance and struggle from teachers for fear of devaluation and harm to the status of the humanities.