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Early Childhood Education in Israel: History, Policy, and Practice Dorit Aram – School of Education, Tel Aviv University Margalit Ziv – Teaching & Learning Graduate Studies, AlQasemi Academic College of Education Aram, D. & Ziv, M. Early Childhood Education in Israel (2018). In J. L. Roopnarine., J. E. Johnson., S. Quinn., & M. Patte (Eds.). International Handbook of Early Childhood Education. New York: Routledge. Chap. 8
This chapter focuses on education in Israel for children between the ages of three and six. Education in Israel from age three is compulsory and free and provided by the State. At the end of 2013, 2.7 million children under the age of 17 were living in Israel, comprising 33% of the county’s population. Approximately 40% of children are under the age of six, and nearly 12% of these are between the ages of three and six (Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, 2014; Rabinowitz, 2015). Of these children, 70.6% are Jewish, 26.4% are Arab, and 3% are Christian and others. The early childhood education system operates according to a common curriculum for all children in the country, unaffiliated with any particular party or other political body, and is under the auspices of the Minister of Education. There are three streams in the early education system: general Jewish education; religious Jewish education where the religious atmosphere is maintained and an additional focus on religious aspects is included in the curriculum; and an Arab educational stream geared towards the Arab, Bedouin, Circassian, and Druze communities. The first two streams operate in Hebrew, while the latter operates in Arabic (Government of Israel, 1953). An early education classroom in Hebrew is called a “gan - children’s garden,” a translation of the German term kindergarten, coined by Friedrich Fröbel (17821852) who founded German kindergartens. “Children’s garden” is a metaphoric term whose origin lies in a worldview that represents a modern humanistic educational approach: the child is like a sapling that needs to be cultivated to enable her to grow and express his/her innate nature and strengths. (Similarly, in Arabic, an early education classroom is called a "bustan" - an orchard). The terms preschool and teacher do not exist in Hebrew or in Arabic -- Israel's two official languages; in Hebrew anything within the framework of instruction of children from ages three to
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six is termed kindergarten1 (Thus the term refers both to preschools and kindergarten, which are often distinct in other countries). At this age, there are no teachers; rather, the educator who is the leader and manager of the "garden" is termed “ganenet” – the caretaker of the “garden plants,” i.e., the children (and in Arabic – "murabiya” – an educator"). Historical Description of Israeli Early Childhood Education The early education system in Israel emerged from the Jewish education that was founded in the 19th century, during which time Jewish settlement in Israel grew rapidly, prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Kindergartens were separated from schools, operated in the spirit of progressive education, and functioned in Hebrew, with the goal of fostering the emerging Hebrew culture. Kindergartens separate from school. Early education in Israel was founded as child-centered and separate from elementary school. Israeli kindergartens were established in the spirit of Fröbel’s kindergartens, which viewed early childhood as a separate and meaningful educational period in a child’s life. This separation aimed to create a warm and safe environment for children that allowed and encouraged an atmosphere for optimal development (Fuller, 2008). Pedagogically, kindergartens were progressive and in line with Freud’s developmental perspective, which emphasized physical activity, free play, and creativity. There were few purchased games in the kindergarten; most of the games were recycled and scrap materials collected by the educators (Snapir, Sitton, & Russo-Zimet, 2012). Basis for Hebrew culture. Whereas Jewish kindergartens in other countries used either the local language or Yiddish, in the nascent Israeli kindergartens, both educators and children spoke Hebrew, a revived language. Modern Israel was created when Jews from around the world arrived, and conversation in Hebrew in the educational system served as an essential factor in the revival of the Hebrew language (Snapir et al., 2012). The kindergartens played an important role in the development of a unified Israeli nationality. The educators taught the history of the Jewish people, and Jewish holidays were celebrated in the kindergartens. They discussed the
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Throughout the chapter the term "kindergarten" refers to an educational setting for children aged 3-6 years old.
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geographic region and taught about the flora and fauna of Israel. All of this helped to develop a unified identity amongst children who emigrated from different countries. Kibbutz Kindergartens Early education in Israel was strongly influenced by the Kibbutz movement that existed prior to the founding of the State of Israel. The kibbutzim were established at the beginning of the 20th century as a society in which people live in accordance with a specific social contract, based on egalitarian and communal principles in a social and economic framework. Kibbutz life was characterized by an adherence to collectivism in property, alongside a cooperative lifestyle in the spheres of education, culture, and social life (The Jewish Agency for Israel, 2016). Early kibbutz education, based on socialist ideas, was adapted to the educational philosophies of Dewey, Montessori, and Pestalozzi. Small, multi-aged groups (4-6 years old) comprised the kindergartens. The children lived and slept2 together in the kindergarten. They were given tremendous freedom and the caretakers didn’t teach, but rather provided them with some direction. The daily schedule was flexible, in line with the “activity flow” approach, where all the areas of the kindergarten, including the yard, were open, and play and inquiry were encouraged throughout the day (Levin, 1985, 1989). The kindergartens emphasized learning through activity and children were encouraged to be independent and to choose activities according their individual interests. Because the kibbutzim focused on agriculture, the children also explored natural phenomena, cared for plants, planted, and worked in the kibbutz. Kindergarten life also included frequent trips within the kibbutz and its surroundings (Dror, 2002). Miriam Roth (1956), a leading figure in the kibbutz early education movement wrote about the kibbutz educational principles: “In the kibbutz, children live their lives amongst their peers. From their early years they create social bonds, and are freed from dependence on their parents. At the same time, parents are considered
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All the kibbutzim changed the system to provide for children sleeping in the homes of their parents during the 70s and the 80s. The change in the last kibbutz took place on 1997.
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partners of educators in their children's education, and accompany their children throughout the stages of development” (p. 12). Early Education from the Establishment of the State of Israel The State of Israel was established in 1948, at which time there were 716,000 Jews living there. Within four years (by 1952), 700,000 Jews from around the world immigrated, and the educational system, including early education, grew four times larger. In 1949, a mandatory educational law was passed for free education from five years of age – that is, one year prior to the transition to elementary school. Already then, policy makers in the Ministry of Education recognized the importance of early education and wrote the law with the intention of expanding it to include free and mandatory education from three years of age. The approach was that advancing children’s education in kindergarten would increase the chances for greater success later on (Volansky, 2010). In 1984, mandatory education from age three was enacted. Because of financial constraints, it was implemented gradually, beginning with children from lower socio-economic strata, and became compulsory at the national level in 2014. The social goals of early childhood education in the State’s early years were to strengthen Israeli culture, deepen the ties to the nation, language, homeland, and nature, and to teach the value of work (Volansky, 2010). From a pedagogic standpoint, the progressive approach, rooted in the Kibbutz movement prior to the State’s founding, continued to be implemented over the years. In accordance with this approach, kindergarten was considered an environment whose goal was to provide freedom, initiative, creativity, and inquiry. The main role of the educators was to facilitate and support these endeavors. The emotional needs of the children were acknowledged in the spirit of Freud’s approach, and the children were encouraged to sublimate their urges by being creative with a variety of materials (e.g., glue, watercolors, clay), and to confront their fears and aggression with play (Snapir et al., 2012; Sverdlov, 2014). Ideology of the Melting Pot Changes following massive immigration: From free play to more structured education. The basis of the Jewish educational ideology in the early years
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of the State of Israel was that of a melting pot, and one of a dominant language – Hebrew, and one culture – Israeli. The Arab education was concurrently established, albeit in Arabic. There was little accommodation to the Arab culture, which was and still is, more traditional and religious and based on Islamic texts and educational approaches (Masarwah-Srour, 2015). In the 1950’s educators realized that the free play approach, which provided children with free choice for most of the day with limited intervention by the educator, was not appropriate for all children, such as many of the new immigrants from Asia and Africa (Michalovitch, 2000; Snapir et al., 2012). The majority of these children grew up in homes with a more structured educational approach; additionally, a large percentage hailed from a lower socio-economic background. Consequently, the central goal of the early education system during this period was to advance these children. As such, beginning in the 1960’s, the Ministry of Education's guidelines directed educators to create a more structured day in the kindergartens, with more organized learning units (Michalovitch, 2000; Snapir et al., 2012; Sverdlov, 2014). Promoting Academic Achievement in Kindergarten In the 1970s and 1980s, with the growing international recognition of the importance of early childhood education for future academic achievements, there was an increase in the societal call in Israel to promote young children's academic achievement. The constant demand of the educational system to promote academic achievement in kindergarten led to ideological and programmatic changes, and brought about the formulation of “framework guidelines” for kindergarten children. Academic goals and objectives were decided upon in major content areas: language, literacy, and mathematics. Educators were instructed to teach these content areas by conducting ageappropriate activities, based on two major educational theories - Piaget's constructivist approach and the Vygotskian mediation educational approach. According to these theories, children’s knowledge develops in a social context with peers and adults (e.g., Shonkoff & Phillips, 2002). The goal of the learning process is to foster children's cognitive abilities by developing their understanding of concepts (e.g., Brooks & Brooks, 1999) and by assisting them in ascribing cultural meaning to their experiences (Ødegaard, 2006). Based on the perception that children develop in a
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socio-cultural context and parents are partners in the educational process, during the 1970s and 1980s there was also increased emphasis on cooperation between the early education system, mainly educators, and the parents, (Zaban & Blass, 2012). From the end of the 1980s, the approach that regarded the task of early childhood education as one that should prepare the child for school intensified (Volansky, 2012). The Ministry of Education guided all educators to include in the curriculum a central common annual topic through which children learned multiple skills and additionally were exposed to issues that were considered central in the Israeli society (e.g., "The Other is Me": educating toward inclusion, "The Green Kindergarten": Saving the Environment). In the 1990s a neo-liberal social approach directed education. This approach emphasized individualism and achievement. The social constructivist approach was strengthened and it was recognized that young children need to be promoted more than was previously thought, mainly through exposure to appropriate stimuli with effective adult support. During this period more complex and abstract science and technology content was added to the curriculum. In the first decade of the 21st century, a “core curriculum” was incorporated, with the goal that kindergarten children arrive in first grade with basic skills that would facilitate their transition to school. The curriculum clarified the expectations regarding the knowledge and skills that children should acquire prior to entering school and which should guide educators' practice (detailed below). Kindergarten in Israel Today (2016) The Ministry of Education Preschool Education division determines the education policies for all the public kindergartens in Israel and presents guidelines for the implementation of these policies. Preschool classes contain up to 35 children (averaging 28), and they operate from 8a.m. to 2p.m., six days a week. Most of the preschools continue to operate by the educator’s assistant until 4p.m. The most common model, in about 90% of Israeli kindergartens, is that of a single class, containing children of one age, or sometimes two ages (e.g., four and five-year olds), and run by an educator (gannenet / murabiya) with the help of an aide (two aides in the 3-year-old classes).
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The kindergarten space includes two main areas – the classroom and the yard – and the curriculum includes activities in both areas (Ministry of Education, 2008). A variety of activities are assigned, relating to both play and learning. Play centers include: areas of social imaginary play (e.g., house corner, doctor’s office, store); areas for playing with blocks and other manipulatives; a creative area that includes a place for drawing, cutting, and gluing, and baskets with different materials; an area for didactic games; a library; a math center; a computer; a nature center; a music center; and, an area relating to the current topic being learned. The outdoor area is connected to the classroom and is an integral part of the kindergarten. The climate in Israel is pleasant during most of the school year and children spend time playing and learning outdoors one to two hours each day. The yard serves as a place to continue classroom activities and contains areas that allow the children to play, inquire, and be creative. These include, for example, a sand box, outdoor toys (e.g., balls, hoops), a creative corner, a vegetable garden, petting zoo, socio-dramatic area (includes a small house), an area containing scrap materials such as old housewares, tubes, boxes, etc., and, a quiet, shady place for relaxing. Preschool Curriculum A basic document titled “Preschool Educational Practices: Guidelines for Educational Staff” (in Hebrew and in Arabic), provides guidelines for educators in Israel’s three educational streams (Ministry of Education, Preschool Division, 2010). The document presents the theoretical basis for establishing goals and objectives for educational activity in the kindergartens and provides guidelines for implementation of these targets. The theoretical approaches on which the document is based are Vygotskian and Constructivist theories, as well as Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) BioEcological Systems Model. Based on the latter, educators are directed to relate to the various circles to which the children belong – peers, family, community, and society. As such, the central goals for the kindergarten educational staff are to provide the children and their families with a sense of trust and security, to promote meaningful adult-child and peer interactions, and to foster a variety of experiences to promote and enrich the children’s world in relation to family and community. The document emphasizes the importance of educators’ familiarity with children’s developmental processes in the socio-emotional, language, sensory,
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movement, and cognitive areas. A particular focus is placed on promoting a kindergarten climate that provides the children with a feeling of belonging, competence, and autonomy. In addition, the climate should reflect educational values and principles, such as respect towards other cultures, and partnership between kindergarten staff, parents, and community. Alongside these guidelines, the Ministry of Education publishes yearly operating directives for the implementation of early education policy. These directives include specific pedagogical emphases that may change from year to year – as a result of political processes and changing ministers of education (Ministry of Education, 2016). For example, in 2016, following the current Minister of Education’s push for strengthening mathematics education from preschool through high school, greater emphasis was placed on mathematics in the early education system. Core Curriculum and Enrichment Programs Early childhood educational policy is implemented via a curriculum of seven core content areas that was developed by professional interdisciplinary teams in the Ministry of Education. These curricula clarify the expectations regarding the knowledge and skills that children should acquire prior to beginning elementary school. The goal is for kindergarten children to reach first grade with the basic skills that will facilitate their integration into school. These core areas include language and literacy, mathematics, science and technology, arts, physical education, environmental and health education, and holidays and heritage. The curricula in these content areas are based on three perspectives: (1) developmental - normal childhood development, while providing options for expression and growth for children at different points along the developmental continuum; (2) individual differences - responsiveness to the differences and individual tendencies of children and to the characteristics of the family; and (3) communal-cultural - allowing for the expression of values and customs of different communities. In addition, the Ministry of Education encourages educators to maintain the “kindergarten spirit” by balancing between guided, structured learning activities (primarily in small groups), experiences that the children initiate and the adult accompanies, and activities (primarily free play) without adults' intervention.
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These curricula are directed to all the children in the general, religious, and Arab streams and appear in both Hebrew and Arabic. The curricula where the main focus is language and culture – mainly in the areas of language, literacy, holidays and heritage – include a universal infrastructure, as well as language and cultural accommodation. For example, the theoretical background for the language and literacy curriculum describes universals of language development, and separately, presents the unique characteristics of the Hebrew and Arabic languages. Table 1 presents examples of subtopics and objectives from the language and literacy curriculum. This program is the foundation for reading and writing at different preschool ages, and describes the elements that are common to both Hebrew and Arabic speakers (Ministry of Education, 2007). Table 1 Examples of Subtopics and Goals in Language and Literacy Subject 3-4 year olds 4-5 year olds 5-6 year olds Alphabetic skills and beginning reading and writing Children should understand the alphabetic principle, be sensitive to and aware of the sounds of the language, and recognize the letters in their names and their sounds. Phonological Identify and enjoy Create rhymes for Identify opening awareness rhymes known words; and closing sounds merge syllables of words into words Writing Write squiggles Identify written Write words at a with some writing names of the partial phonetic characteristics kindergarteners level Language competency Children’s language should become morphologically and syntactically more complex with expanded vocabulary. Children should have age-appropriate conversation skills. Vocabulary Expand their Expand and enrich their vocabulary in vocabulary in various content areas contents that are relevant to them Interpersonal Converse with Converse with Initiate communication and peers and adults on peers and adults conversation with conversation topics related to the about a range of peers and adults in “here and now,” as topics order to share well as imaginary experiences, plans worlds connected and thoughts to books, movies, etc. Book awareness Children should recognize children’s literature and the language in the book and enjoy
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listening to books read to them. They should draw cultural and world knowledge from books, know how to find their way around a book, and understand writing conventions. Pleasure from Show interest in Initiate repeated Show preferences reading and reading books and readireadings of books for books, authors, for pleasure ness to listen to a and activities subjects, and read-aloud in small following readings genres groups; select books according to personal preference
On the basis of the core curricula, Ministry of Education professionals developed enrichment programs that assist meaningful and enjoyable learning. Table 2 presents examples of these enrichment programs. Table 2 Examples of enrichment programs in relation to core curriculum domains Subject Mathematics
Program's Name Mathematics in Song, Movement, & Play
Language Hebrew
Science & Technology
Fixing Toys – Do it Yourself
Hebrew and Arabic
Plastic Arts
Art in Kindergarten & Museums
Hebrew and Arabic
Music
Music in the Kindergarten
Hebrew
Main Goals
Description
Encourage the learning of mathematics skills and terms in an enjoyable and experiential manner Promote problem solving, creative thinking, and successful experiences with technology
Songs and corresponding movements relating to counting and rhythm
Promote children’s observation skills of works of art; Encourage pleasure and learning from museum visits Enrich children’s musical understanding and
Enriching children’s art experiences using works of art; Visits to museums
Children repair toys, using a variety of materials and via discussions with the educator and peers
Guiding the children in a variety of
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appreciation
Language & Literacy
Holidays & Heritage
We Sing in Rhyme & Melody
Arabic
Enrich children’s repertoire of original Arabic songs
Pajama Library (Sifriyat Pijama)
Hebrew
Lantern Library (Maktabat alFanoos)
Arabic
Expand children's recognition of Hebrew literature, with an emphasis on Jewish values; Foster a culture of book reading Expand children's recognition of Arabic literature, with an emphasis on universal and cultural values
Israeli Heritage & Holidays in Kindergarten
Hebrew
Promote Jewish values and traditions
Holidays in Kindergarten in Israeli Arab Society
Arabic
Deepen children's understanding of the values of the holidays; Enrich children's experiences connected to the holidays
experiences connected to multiple musical compositions Guiding the children through a variety of activities, relating to musical compositions Children receive books, accompanied by activity suggestions for educators and parents Children receive books, accompanied with activity suggestions for educators and parents Activities to deepen children’s understanding and experience of Jewish holidays Culturally sensitive activities related to the holidays
It is important to note the growing trend to develop enrichment programs tailored to Arab society in culturally sensitive areas, such as music, holidays and heritage, and language and literacy. This trend addresses the need for culturally appropriate enrichment programs in Arabic, and highlights the implementation of policies that see respect of other cultures as an important value to cultivate from a young age (Ministry of Education, Preschool Division, 2010).
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The most extensive program in this context is the “Lantern Library” in Arabic (www.al-fanoos.org/page.aspx?id=164&vmenu=164&menu=inpvm164), which operates in parallel to the Hebrew “Pajama Library” (www.pjisrael.org/page.aspx?id=34&menu=lang34). The two programs are derived from the language and literacy core curriculum and implement its central objectives in the domains of language and book awareness. They are designed to encourage book reading with children and reflect the growing awareness of the potential of books to provide children and families with enjoyable experiences that promote multiple emotional, social, and cognitive skills (Aram, Fine, & Ziv, 2013; Evans, Kelley Sikora, & Treiman, 2010). At the end of each book there are suggested activities and topics for discussions related to the books, for the parents. These are based on research that shows that guiding parents, especially those from low SES backgrounds, can be very effective in enriching book reading habits (Aram et al., 2013; Lonigan, 2004). There is also an online page for each book that guides the kindergarten educators. The program includes ongoing training for the educators and instructors regarding implementation of the program in the kindergartens and at home. The enrichment programs for encouraging reading with Hebrew and Arabicspeaking children have undergone evaluation by the Research and Evaluation Division of the Ministry of Education (2014; 2017). These evaluations reveal that the educators are very satisfied with the books and activities, that they read all the books in the program to the children, and in general, read the books repeatedly. A particularly significant change was reported in relation to the implementation of the “Lantern Library” (Maktabat el-Fanoos) program in the Arab community. The books of the program enrich the kindergarten and home libraries with quality books and result in an increase in the frequency of book reading with children and in adult-child conversations surrounding the books. Inclusion of Children with Special Needs The Israeli Special Education Law (1988) prioritizes the rights of children with special needs for the inclusive and least restrictive educational options that best provide their educational needs. The law highlights the importance of providing support for students’ special needs within regular education settings, as much as possible, and where feasible, in their own neighborhood schools. Over the years,
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Israel has witnessed a general acceptance of the importance of inclusive early education and a gradual increase in the process of its implementation. Like inclusive tracks that exist worldwide (Guralnick, Neville, Hammond, & Connor, 2008; Odom, Buysse, & Soukakou, 2011), several major tracks comprise early childhood inclusion in Israel. Full inclusion: individual inclusion of a child with special needs within a preschool of typically developing children, often accompanied by one-on-one support from paraprofessionals for children with difficulties; partial inclusion: inclusion with typically developing children for part of the day/week, but most of the time is spent with children with special needs; specialized programs: a setting for children with similar developmental functioning and special needs. Research has shown the effectiveness of early inclusion in Israel. For example, Most, Ingber, and Heled-Araiam (2011) assessed social skills and perceived sense of loneliness among Israeli kindergartners with hearing loss in full inclusion, versus partial inclusion, compared to hearing kindergartners. They found that compared to children in the partial inclusion program, children with hearing loss in the full inclusion program demonstrated greater social competence in interacting with typically hearing peers and less sense of loneliness. “Gannanot” (kindergarten educators): Job, Training, Professional Development, Attitudes, and Experiences The educator is the principal of the kindergarten. She is responsible for planning a yearly work plan and the daily schedule and activities, based on the policies of the Ministry of Education and the core curriculum. She directs and leads the staff, is responsible for assessment methods, is in charge of communication with parents and the community, and is also in charge of the organizational issues of the kindergarten. At the same time, the educator is under the supervision of a regional supervisor, who works in conjunction with instructors who are experts in the curriculum, and provide guidance to the educators. A number of recent studies have explored educators’ attitudes and beliefs, relating to the core curriculum and to their relationships with parents, as well as their emotional experiences, related to their profession. Sverdlov and Aram (2016) studied the goals of kindergarten in the eyes of kindergarten educators. They asked educators
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to reflect on their own beliefs, their understanding of parents’ beliefs, and their understanding of the beliefs that guide agents of the education system. They found a lack of congruence between the educators’ perspectives and their understanding of the position of parents and agents of the education system. Educators considered fostering children’s positive self-esteem as the most important goal and promoting literacy and mathematics skills as less important. They believe, however, that parents and agents of the education system regard children’s advancement in literacy and mathematics skills as the most important goal. The educators said that they found ways to keep the kindergarten’s “spirit” while still following the curriculum and parents' expectations. Gantz Aloni (2003), and Eisenberg (2010) interviewed Israeli kindergarten educators regarding their work. Participants were educators with varied experience who work with children from homes of varying SES. Results of these studies showed that the educators feel satisfied with their relationships with the children, that they value their autonomy, and have varied opportunities for personal expression. They feel like queens of their kingdoms. At the same time, the educators feel lonely because their work is based on relationships with children and they feel disconnected from the adult world. Parents play a meaningful role in the lives of the educators – proper communication serves as a significant challenge, yet at the same time, they sometimes serve as a means for compensating for loneliness. These studies also found that the availability and frequency of meetings with supervisors and opportunities for training are minimal compared to the educators’ needs, and educators expect to receive more training and personal guidance. One of the solutions to educators’ feelings of loneliness was provided in 2004 with the development of a clustering model for kindergartens. Each cluster includes 815 kindergartens within a similar geographic region, and one of the educators from the cluster serves as a coordinator and head. Under the guidance of the coordinator, the educators within the cluster consult with one another and based on their needs, study a central topic that they select together. At the same time, each educator maintains the uniqueness and day-to-day management of her own kindergarten. In addition to the yearly budget for each kindergarten, the local authority is supposed to provide a budget for cluster activities, such as meetings and events, and the necessary supplies for joint activities. Each cluster has a supporting staff that
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includes a psychologist, special education instructor, aides, and an educational consultant. An evaluation study (National Research and Evaluation Authority, 2010) showed that the kindergarten educators are satisfied with this structure. They reported that the cluster creates a group affiliation for them, which provides social and emotional support, promotes professional development, and positively influences their work. Results also showed that the cluster model supports new educators and results in a pooling of physical resources. Regarding the children, it was found that the model contributes to an easier transition from 4-year-old kindergarten to 5-year-old kindergarten, and helps in identifying children with difficulties and providing for their needs. Training and Professional Development Like teacher training in Israel, training for kindergarten educators includes a number of elements – basic education for a B.Ed. degree, three years of initial work (induction), and in-service professional development throughout their tenure. Basic education. Basic studies for kindergarten educators (B.Ed.) largely take place in teachers’ colleges, which are recognized as academic institutions by the Israeli Council for Higher Education. There are currently 19 teachers’ colleges (nine general, seven religious (Jewish), and four Arab) that certify educators and grant an academic degree. The regulations for the certification of teachers and educators are determined by the Council for Teacher Certification in the Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Council for Higher Education. These regulations include guidelines for a core curriculum, along with flexibility that allows a particular institution to express varied educational views and to develop unique training programs, based on cultural sensitivity. The basic education includes three components: 1) education studies and research, 2) disciplinary studies – principles and approaches of early childhood education, core disciplinary areas, and pedagogy, and 3) practical experience. In addition to training educators of normally developing children, the colleges also certify educators for kindergartens that include children with special needs. Initial three years of work. In the educators’ first year of work, they are integrated into a kindergarten for at least one-third of a full time job, and receive
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weekly guidance and mentoring by an experienced, certified educator. In addition, they participate in a yearly group workshop that takes place at a teachers' college over 60 hours. At the end of the first year, the mentor writes an evaluation of the educators, as a condition of their receiving a teaching license. Over the next two years, each new educator is paired with an experienced educator who guides her. Further, the new educators participate in weekly group workshops, dealing with central issues relating to their educational work. These workshops are run by experienced professionals who receive special training to serve as mentors. Combining the theoretical knowledge learned in the colleges and their practical experiences, the workshops aim to help the educators contend with the challenges and complexity of integrating into the system. Reflective and critical discourse surrounding educational dilemmas that new educators encounter is central in the workshops and contributes to the formation of their professional identity and their functioning as educators (Aviav, 2006; Zilberstrom, 2011).
A comprehensive evaluation study on the mentoring of 400 teachers and educators in Israel during their first working year (Nasser-Abu Alhija, Fresko, & Raichenberg, 2011) examined the rationale for and implementation of mentoring, and educators' satisfaction with the process. Results showed that the process in Israel resembles the process in other nations in the centrality of mentoring and the use of evaluation as a tool in the decision-making process regarding licensure. A unique aspect in Israel is the major involvement of teachers’ colleges in the mentoring program – the colleges take care of the training for the mentoring educators as well as the courses and workshops for the educators. The results also demonstrate the importance of emotionally supporting new educators in their adaptation to the job and to the educational system. In-service professional development. Professional development courses. Throughout their years of work, educators are required to participate in professional development courses, in accordance with their seniority level. The courses include comprehensive learning relating to early childhood educational practice (e.g., promoting social relationships in kindergarten, staff development, partnering with parents), as well as topics relating to the core content area curriculum (e.g., music, art, science). The Early Education Division of the Ministry of Education is responsible for
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determining the courses' syllabi. The courses are conducted at teachers’ colleges, at training centers of the Ministry of Education, and at universities. Educators select courses in conjunction with the district’s early childhood representative, and participate in 60 learning hours each year. Participation in these courses enables promotion and an increase in educators' salary. Challenges and Future Plans Reducing inequality in the education system. The gaps in achievement amongst Israeli children from different SES continues to increase. Educational policy makers agree that the reduction of inequalities and fostering equal educational opportunities for children is extremely important and crosses political and ethnic boundaries. A central means for accomplishing this goal is the broad implementation, of the 2013 law for compulsory education from age three. Indeed, the number of 3-4year-olds in public kindergartens has significantly increased, and the Ministry of Education integrated an additional aide into these classes to improve the care for young children, some of whom are not yet toilet trained. However, the responsibility for the implementation of the law is divided between the Ministry of Education and local authorities. This creates a situation where the weaker authorities have a harder time obtaining the necessary budget to build new buildings and the State does not allocate enough resources for weaker areas that would allow them to include all the 3year-olds into kindergarten. In addition, a higher percentage of children at risk from weaker levels of society need more intensive educational treatment, which the law doesn’t support. Economic and education experts note that there is a need for affirmative action, that is, allocation of resources in accordance with children’s SES, in order to realize the goal of an equitable application of the compulsory education law from three years of age (Balas, 2015). Training educators tailored to Arab society in Israel. As mentioned earlier, policy makers recognize the importance of relating to the cultural diversity of kindergarteners in Israel, and encourage the development of enrichment programs tailored to the Arab population. However, there is still little reference to the characteristics of Arab culture in the coursework in teachers’ colleges (Jabareen & Agbaria, 2011). In contrast to the autonomy that exists in the Jewish religious public teachers’ colleges that allows them to tailor their program to the religious Jewish
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worldview, training of Arab educators takes place in Arabic but is based on educational approaches that represent the secular Israeli public. It doesn’t sufficiently express the cultural, social, or national characteristics of Arab society in Israel. Researchers recommend increasing the participation of Arab researchers and educators in the Ministry of Education’s policy-making forums (Agbaria & Pinson, 2013). In the coming years, a merger of teachers' colleges is planned to reduce the number of colleges and increase the quality of teacher training. Researchers recommend that Arab educators participate in the planning process, and that Arab teachers’ colleges receive greater autonomy in determining educational content (Agbaria & Jabreen, 2015). Education for infants and toddlers (birth to 3 years). Education for children from birth to age three in Israel is not under the Ministry of Education’s responsibility. The initial frameworks for the care and education of children in the first three years were established to allow mothers to go to work, and are under the auspices of offices such as the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Economics. In 2015, approximately 76% of mothers in Israel worked out of the home (Kulik, 2015) and their children were in some kind of caretaking setting (public day care, private day care, nannies). Despite the recognition of the importance of quality care for these young children, and recommendations of professional committees to pass the responsibility for them to the Ministry of Education (Alalouf, 2013; Trajtenberg Committee, 2011), due to political considerations, the responsibility for public day care centers was recently passed to the Ministry of Welfare, and only some of the frameworks for infants are supervised by the State. Improving the quality of care and education for children under three is a major challenge in Israel. There is a proposed bill (Alalouf, 2013; Trajtenberg, 2011) to establish an early childhood council that would be part of the Ministry of Education. This council would be responsible for all aspects of early childhood care and education - economic, welfare, health, and education. The issue is currently frozen due to political issues, but there is no doubt that it is an important area to revisit and deal with as soon as possible. Summary
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The public education system in Israel provides free compulsory education for children from ages 3-6 in three streams: general, religious, and Arab. The three streams emerged from progressive educational approaches that led to the kibbutz educational approach, which emphasized freedom and diverse experiences for children, with minimal intervention by the educational staff in the kindergarten. Over the years, education became more structured because of the necessity to address the needs of children from various backgrounds, as well as the global requirement for a more academic and achievement-oriented education. As such, core curricula were developed and educators are expected to teach these core content areas while maintaining the free spirit of the kindergarten. Israeli “gannenot” and "murabiyat" (educators in Hebrew and Arabic, respectively) are considered the principals of the kindergarten and are trained for their roles primarily by teachers’ colleges that grant their Bachelor’s degree. Over the course of their working years, the educators continue to participate in professional development courses. Issues relating to the educator's autonomy, the balance between structured learning and free play, and tailoring the educational system to different cultures in Israel are key aspects and challenges that are reflected in the Ministry of Education’s policies, in educators’ training, and in their day-to-day practice. Another important challenge is the improvement of the quality of education for children under age three, which would allow for continuous quality education from birth through age six.
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