The State Control Committee, chaired by MK Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid), held on Monday its tenth discussion on the issue of oversight of core curriculum studies in ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) educational institutions.
Committee Chair MK Levy said, “We are holding another discussion on the critical importance of effective oversight of Haredi education. This is directly connected to openness to the workforce and military service. The committee sees this as a top priority—it concerns the future of the state of Israel. Unfortunately, we had to go to the High Court of Justice just to ensure that oversight is properly conducted, instead of the Ministry of Education helping us do this proactively and transparently.”
MK Moshe Turpaz, who initiated the debate, said “The district and institutions know how much core curriculum is being taught—it’s a shame we had to reach the High Court just to get the data. As the school year approaches, we would like to hear about the status of the state Haredi educational frameworks.” MK Turpaz criticized the current Director General’s circular for failing to enforce the study of core subjects: “It is unacceptable that English is not being taught at all. In girls’ schools, they found many ways to avoid teaching English. There is a scandalous directive from the minister not to transfer information to the legislative branch,” he said.
MK Meirav Cohen (Yesh Atid) said, “One in every five children in the education system is Haredi. This is not a sectoral issue but a national one. Less than 4% of elementary school pupils study the core curriculum. The Haredim are being educated with alternative content, funded by public money, which does not teach Zionist values. This neglect of Haredi pupils must end. A five-year plan is needed for Haredi society, to encourage integration into employment, military service and higher education. Currently, budgets are being used to promote separatism. Funds are being misappropriated due to the system’s inefficiency.”
Shai Calderon, director of ultra-Orthodox education at the Ministry of Education, said “Our district’s work on monitoring core curriculum studies has not stopped for a moment. We are combining enforcement and supervision to increase core curriculum instruction. The two networks are required to teach 100% of the core curriculum and will be funded accordingly. The Director General’s circular is very clear. Recognized but unofficial institutions must teach 75%, and exempt institutions – 55%. Calderon said hundreds of pupils in exempt institutions are studying English, adding “We do not intend to hide or withhold information from the committee—the data is constantly being measured and updated. Final information will be available in the 2025–2026 school year, after we receive updates on the changes made by the institutions.”
Calderon further said, “In the past two years, there has been significant progress, and hundreds of schools have improved their core curriculum instruction. The state Haredi institutions are making meaningful progress. Last year there were 30 schools, and they developed over the year in various pedagogical aspects, closing many gaps. Ahead of the 2025–2026 school year, some 50 kindergartens are expected to open across the country under the state Haredi framework, bringing the total to 350 kindergartens and 150 schools, including a gifted children’s school. In total, around 20,000 pupils.”
