The article reviews texts from central children's weeklies during Israel's first decade (1948-1958) and portrays them as a platform for legal and moral principles aimed at the country's youngest citizens. By focusing on the first decade of Israel, which posed Israeli leadership and citizens with many challenges, the article addresses the…

My article narrates and theorizes one educational moment of speaking 'across' the social and political margins in a peripheral college on the northern border of Israel. I recognize the academic space as what historian Louise Pratt titled a 'contact zone' where peoples geographically and historically separated meet within radically asymmetrical…

School integration (desegregation) was introduced in Israeli junior high schools in 1968 with the aim of increasing educational equality and decreasing (Jewish) ethnic divides. While never officially abandoned, a "de facto" retreat from this policy has been observed since the early 1990s, despite the voluminous research that revealed its…

While much of the work in language testing is concerned with constructing quality tests in order to measure language knowledge in reliable and valid ways, there has been a significant movement in language testing research that examines tests in the context of their use in education and society. This line of research exits from the notion that…

The mandatory curriculum mooted by the Israeli Ministry of Education for implementation is designed to include the most important body of knowledge to be taught and acquired by every student in the educational system. In addition to the knowledge present in the mandatory curriculum it also includes the learning skills and social values necessary…

Country Updates is a new section of "Intercultural Education." Starting in "Intercultural Education," Volume 16 No. 5, this column will focus on recent developments during the last two to three years in the field of intercultural education in one particular country. These updates can include recent policy decisions, the main…

Describes and analyzes an intervention program with social workers living and working in a situation of uncertainty created by political violence, such as war and terrorism. Uses a social constructionist perspective as a theoretical framework, emphasizing the effect of the social and political context in constructing the experience and a…

Examines the impact of teacher unions in two centralized educational systems--France and Israel--on school reforms. Document analysis and interview data suggest that, since 1970, teacher unions in both countries have been demanding and receiving more say in educational policy reforms. Despite similarities in tactics, French unions are more…

Major background sociocultural factors in the revival of Hebrew as Israel's vernacular during the period 1890-1916 are examined. These include communicative, national-political, and religioeducational factors leading to an unprecedented community acceptance of an unfamiliar spoken language and its use by new generations of native speakers. (MSE)

Despite its small population, challenged economy, and rapid political development, Israel has been able to grow and achieve in sport and physical education. Israel's unique system fosters children gifted in sports, elite athletes, and persons with disabilities. Research and planning sport and physical education facilities are central to Israel's…

Examines Israel's policy of gender equality in education, discussing: social and economic forces that created the demand for equality; political processes for implementing the policy; and policy content. Data from interviews and document reviews indicate that the policy was devised to address concerns of high-tech industries and women,…

The status of the minimally functioning elementary and secondary schools and universities of the Gaza Strip and West Bank in the midst of political and social turmoil is discussed; the daily life of a university teacher is described; and the potential role of American academics is examined briefly. (MSE)

Discusses the development of a national information policy in Israel. Topics include political climate; security concerns; censorship; lack of openness; progress in the peace process; technical innovativeness; a desire to join the international community; and legislation, including privacy protection, freedom of information, and copyright.…

Examines Israel's 1953 State Education Law, the product of a religious and political compromise, that was responsible for unifying schools into a national system. Gives the historical perspective of this system that is comprised of five types of schools: four Jewish, one Arabian. Examines how the schools reflect Israel's religious and political…

The Palestinian Jewish educational system grew out of urban schools established in the 1800s through the philanthropic efforts of the European Jewish communities and out of rural schools established at Kibbutzim from the turn of the century. Standards were set first by a Teachers' Association, then by the worldwide Zionist Organization, and…