[etni] 4-year-olds in school

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Planned overhaul of education would see 4-year-olds in school
Haaretz - December 1, 2003

(To read the whole article, go to -  www.etni.org.il/news/overhaul.htm or
www.etni.org/news/overhaul.htm
The following are choice excerpts from the article.)

A comprehensive plan for reforming the educational system due to be
presented at the upcoming Herzliya Conference calls for beginning school at
age four and finishing the matriculation exams at age 16, thereby enabling
students to complete a bachelor's degree before being drafted . . . . .

Currently, Israel's educational system includes a year each of nursery
school and kindergarten plus 12 years of school, after which the student is
drafted into the IDF at age 18. Under the Shoshani plan, studies would begin
at age four and be divided into four stages. . . . .

First would be four years of "pre-elementary" school, during which students
would learn reading, writing, arithmetic and basic computer skills, as well
as basic physical, emotional, learning and social skills. In elementary
school, lasting from ages eight to 12, students would focus on human and
Jewish (or Arab) culture and improving their self-expression skills. High
school, lasting from ages 12 to 16, would focus on the subjects students
must master for their matriculation (bagrut) exams.

Then would come post-high school, in which some students would defer their
army service until age 19 in order to complete the standard three-year
bachelor's degree, others would learn a trade, and students who failed to
pass their matriculation exams would take remedial courses aimed at
preparing them to try again. . . . . .

The program also proposes that the first two stages take place in small
schools of no more than 400 students. These schools would enjoy a high
degree of independence, with the Education Ministry merely setting overall
policy and national standards. The ministry would also supervise the
schools' achievements and publicize them every three years.

Additionally, the plan calls for transferring responsibility for teacher
training from the Education Ministry to the Council for Higher Education, as
well as trying to recruit university graduates in various fields to work as
teachers. It also calls for supplying every teacher and student with a
personal computer plugged into a network.



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