The Academic Achievements of Arab Israeli Pupils

For many years, the Arab Israeli (Arab) education system suffered neglect and discrimination reflected in large disparities relative to the Jewish (Hebrew) sector  system  —  both  in  terms  of  resources  and  in  terms  of  academic achievements.  Although  these  disparities  continue  to  exist,  evidence  has emerged  in  recent  years  that  the  gaps  are  narrowing.  The  level  of  formal education attained by teachers in the Arab system is equal, and sometimes even  superior,  to  that  of  teachers  in  the  Hebrew  sector;  the  number  of pupils  in  Arab  classrooms  is  approaching  that  of  pupils  in  Hebrew  sector classrooms;  enrollment  rates  in  pre-primary  and  post-primary  education, which  lagged  behind  the  Hebrew  sector  rates,  are  now  almost  identical  to them. The last few years have also witnessed gains in the percentage of Arab Israelis  who  are  pursuing  higher  education and  earning  academic  degrees. The  gains  are  particularly  striking  when  one  compares  pupils  of  similar
socioeconomic backgrounds. The road to true equality is still long, but the system is headed in the right direction.