Nearly one-third of the Israeli public believes controversial subjects such as the war and divisive social issues should be kept out of classrooms, according to an Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) poll released Monday, the start of the school year.
The poll asked which controversial subjects should be emphasized by teachers in a classroom setting, with options including ways of freeing the hostages; freedom of speech and the right to protest; haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft into the IDF; the justice system; equality; and the humanitarian plight in Gaza. However, while 24% said that all of these issues should be addressed equally, 31% said they should all be avoided.
When divided up between Jews and Arabs, 24% of both respondents agreed they should all be discussed equally. However, 32.5% of Jewish respondents said all of these subjects should simply be avoided, compared to 22% of Arabs.
There is a further divergence in responses on party lines, with nearly half (45%) of those on the Right think all the controversial subjects should be kept out of classrooms, compared to pluralities of those on the Left (37%) and center (28%), who think classrooms should address all controversial subjects equally.
"The survey shows that a substantial share of the public - nearly one-third - is opposed to addressing matters relating to the war and other political issues in the classrooms," said Dr. Tammy Hoffman, head of the IDI's Education Policy program.
"This is a concerning trend, suggesting that much of the Israeli public thinks schools should not be engaging in difficult discussions. The education system should be a place in which students are given age-appropriate tools to understand the realities outside the classroom and engage respectfully with people who disagree with them. This is critical, now more than ever."
What is the major challenge in Israeli education?
A notable divide was present when respondents were asked what the biggest issue is in Israeli education.
In total, half (50%) of all Israelis said the biggest problem was the teaching crisis, specifically the shortage of teachers and the quality of education. This was reflected by a majority (55%) of Jews. For Arab respondents, however, the most pressing issue for a plurality (35%) of respondents is bullying and violence in the classroom.