2.6 million Israeli students are returning to school amid teacher shortage
According to a data analysis by the Central Bureau of Statistics, there is a shortage of 30,871 teachers in the country
Some 2.6 million Israeli students are returning to school on Tuesday, including around 180,000 children entering first grade. Several political leaders are visiting schools to mark the occasion.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to open the school year in Ramla alongside Education Minister Yoav Kisch, while Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana is visiting Ma’ale Adumim. President Isaac Herzog and his wife are visiting institutions in Ein Hamifratz and Sheikh Danun.
Gadi Eisenkot is expected in Nahariya, while former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is participating in several events in Rishon LeZion, including the inauguration of a new institution and a kindergarten complex.
However, this back-to-school period comes at a difficult time for the Israeli education system, which is facing a significant staff shortage. According to an analysis by the Central Bureau of Statistics, there is a shortage of 30,871 teachers in the country.
The greatest educational needs are in Hebrew, with 12,799 positions unfilled, and in mathematics, where the deficit reached 10,255 teachers. There is also a shortage of 4,389 science teachers and 3,428 English teachers.
The issue of salaries also remains at the heart of the sector's difficulties. A beginner teacher earns about 7,000 shekels, compared to around 22,300 shekels for an experienced teacher.
At the same time, a recent study based on an international survey conducted in 2022 and 2023 ranks Israeli teachers 17th out of the 20 developed countries studied in terms of skills.