OECD Director of Education urges Israel to reduce to minimum the finals in highscool

OECD Director of Education Andreas Schleicher urges the Ministry of Education to reduce centralization and give greater independence to field officials, administrators and teachers. He also calls for a minimum of adult education in Israel.
Schleicher made a short 24-hour visit to Israel, during which he met with members of the Public Cabinet for Education of the National Parent's Leadership, and gave a speech at the Education Division Directors' Conference held in Eilat. He discusses with the Cabinet of Education members in the Decade 2030 Education Plan, which they are formulating. The founders of the cabinet are Brigadier General Milam Shmueli and the director of the Education Departments Association of Local Government Avi Kaminsky and partners in dozens of teacher organizations, parents, students and more.
According to Schleicher, "the Ministry of Education must reduce centralization and create greater independence for field officials - administrators, teachers and municipal bodies." He noted countries where this change was particularly successful - Portugal, the Netherlands and Japan, which was very central in the past. He noted that, in his experience, reforms never succeeded when "laid" on the ground and teachers without consultation. He said that only if teachers shared the policy will they feel the cost of it and cooperate optimally.
Enad suggested that Leicher reduce the matriculation exams to the minimum, while in other subjects a school assessment would be given. According to him, many systems are taught in Israel "a mile wide and an inch deep" and the change must begin at maturity - learning a number of small, but more profound subjects.
"Education needs to be more human-based and relationships, less memorization and content, it's not what you know, but what you know how to do with knowledge," Schleicher said, adding that in the near future and the imminent competition with robots and artificial intelligence, soft skills (emotional and social) ): Sensitivity and empathy, creativity, criticism, collaboration, and learning to live together in a group.
Schleicher's remarks on reform can be interpreted as criticizing the special education reform conducted by the Ministry of Education, in constant confrontation with teachers and parents. Schleicher talked about special education reforms in the OECD. Among other things, he noted that 20 years ago in Italy special education reform was similar to what is currently being done in Israel. The reform failed because teachers did not have the tools to deal with the integrated students. Eventually they had to bring another teacher to each classroom where students were challenged. Countries that started special education reform in regular teacher education, such as Finland and Estonia, have succeeded.