Israel requires compulsory education for all children from ages 6 to 16. Many students do two additional years of education to receive a matriculation certificate. Nurseries and schools are free for all residents.
Hebrew is the official language taught in school, and Israeli students begin to study other languages at the age of ten. The school year in Israel begins in early September and finishes in late June.
Preschool begins as early as two years old and is sponsored by the government. Preschool classes can be morning, afternoon, or full-day. They aim to provide the social and learning skills necessary for future academic success. Nurseries include three levels: three-year old preschool (trom-trom chova), four-year old preschool (trom-chova), and five-year old kindergarten (gan chova).
Primary education is called elementary school and teaches students ages six to eleven. Students receive 30 hours of instruction from an educator per week. At ten years of age, students learn English or French.
Secondary education is divided into two parts: junior high school and high school. Junior high school teaches students from ages 12 to 15, and high school teaches students ages 16 to 18. Students receive 24 hours of instruction from an educator per week. Most of the day is spent in academic study, and students learn history, mathematics, science, language and humanities.
At the end of high school, students take matriculation examinations (bagrut). They must pass the exams for Hebrew and English language, scripture, state studies, literature and mathematics in order to be eligible for a matriculation certificate. Without a certificate, students cannot apply to university.
To fit the demands of its diverse population, Israel offers four types of schools: state secular schools, state religious schools (yeshiva), Arab schools, and private schools:
In all schools the curriculum is overseen by the Israeli Ministry of Education. The schools have a degree of autonomy in implementing the state's curriculum.
If you have younger children and want them to learn Hebrew, send them to a state school. If you have older children who do not speak Hebrew, send them to an international school.
Depending on the type of school, extracurricular activities vary. Secular state schools support extracurricular arts, entertainment, and school-related events such as newspaper and yearbook. In yeshiva schools, time after school is spent in study of religious texts. Various political parties also support extracurricular clubs. These clubs sponsor games, sports, and social events for its members.
The Ministry of Education has instituted a series of education television programmes (ETV) to supplement in-class learning. Programmes include educational television for young children, educational entertainment for adolescents, and education and news services for adults.