Rishon Rishon

David, didn't you, in a recent post, say the state has no business being involved in education?

The state, the source of pretty much all the problems education all over the world is facing today, not only cannot be a part of the solution, it is INCAPABLE of it.

Once someome starts spouting nonsense about "gaps between different municipalities" and private schools being "elitist, segregationist, and expensive" you're dealing with a socialist worldview. Talk like that makes me sick. Study after study shows the near total lack of correlation between school funding and scholastic achievement. Otherwise, DC schools in America (which get about 10K PER STUDENT) would be far better than Utah schools (which get much less).

A far better predictor of academic excellence is the administrator-teacher ratio. The lower the ratio the better. But even in better districts, it doesn't drop below 0.45 or so. State supported schools seem to be congenitally incapable of shedding unneeded busy-body administrators beyond that.

I believe I've mentioned this before, but for a truly shocking, nauseating, look into government education, check out John Taylor Gatto's Underground History of American Education. The entire book is available for free online (http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/chapters/index.htm). It's an important book. A scary book. And one that is just as relevant for Israel given this country's penchant for adapting the worst ideas and practises among the nations, particularly in regards education, which is especially sad given our people's own glorious history in being 100% literate since Sinai.

Scott,

I just think it's a move in the right direction, if it happens.

A step in the right direction, in my opinion, would be to recognize the positive effect of programs like SHUVU or chinuch atzma'i (ie the charedi school systems). While these might have some state financial support, it is grudging at best, and what makes them successful is their very independence of action in setting their own curricula and standards.

To insist that the state be MORE involved in education, regardless of the potential benefits as stated in the interview, is a clear sign that the entire reform effort is misguided and doomed to failure.

Jonanthan Rosenbloom (jewishmediaresources.com) has written many fine columns on the problems of Israeli education and the outstanding successes of these non-state sanctioned solutions. He demolishes such canards such as: these schools pick the cream of the crop (some might have entrance requirements, but most of the schools accept all comers), that they are well funded (true of none of the schools he mentions), that the teachers are better paid (also not true, just better motivated) etc.

Personally, I'm perfectly happy knowing my children will never be taught according to the state guidelines for things like history, which are subject to the whims of highly politicisized bureaucrats. I'm perfectly capable of giving over to my children a more accurate, meaningful rendition of history, free of their biases and revision. Am I unbiased? Certainly not. But certainly more honest in the nature and source of those biases.

I find it interesting that at the same time you reveal a highly libertarian outlook (while denying that you are a libertarian), you have a fairly high regard for the state. Given that, in the reasonable analysis of another blogger I read (http://voxday.blogspot.com/2004_07_01_voxday_archive.html#109065844331629547), throughout the 20th century, an individual was approx. 15.5 times more likely to be killed by a state bureaucrat than a common criminal, my regard for the state is on a bit lower level, born more out of fear than regard.

My respect for the Israeli government, in particular, took a huge nosedive in the 90's when I saw mounted police trampling peaceful protestors and using water cannons against them. These memories have been revived in the recent efforts to expel Jews from their homes in Gaza and in the endless refrains that "extremist elements" among the "settlers" are preparing to resort to violence or even assassinate various state leaders, all while freely admitting they have not one shred of evidence to back up these assertions. The intent of this motzi shem ra gamor is clear to me, and many other people -- the government is using all means at its disposal (which are considerable, considering it owns a huge swath of media and regulates the rest to an unhealthy degree) to demonize and marginalize a significant portion of the population in preparation for action against them.

You seem to have a high regard for America's Founding Fathers. Read what they say about the nature of the state. Here's one famous quote:

"Government is not reason and it is not eloquence. It is force! Like fire it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."

-- George Washington

Force, in my opinion, should not be used to determine educational curriculum of children.

Scott,

My point was that despite the rhetoric, these reforms, if implemented, will result in a significant decrease in government involvement in education. The combination of diverse schools and school choice will ensure it. Also, the reforms are obviously inspired by the success of the independent schools, some of which you mention. Such is the beauty of competition! The fact that Israel has a robust independent school system – including many which are nominally part of the system, such as Maqor Hayim, is putting pressure on the rest to improve.

It is possible that I am less skeptical of government than you, but more than that I have faith in the individual’s ability to flourish in less than ideal conditions, as we have been doing throughout history. I am happy with any incremental improvement, no matter how far from ideal.