The starting point of a baby born today in Ofakim is not similar to that of a baby born in Shoham.
According to CBS data, only about 8% of Ofakim aged 20-29 come to the academy, compared to more than 30% of Shoham. This is an improvement over the past, but the gaps are still large, due to a lack of resources and opportunities: if there is no youth movement, If the high school does not prepare for the elite units of the IDF, if there is no class of 5 units of study in mathematics and if the supply of elective courses is limited - our baby's starting point will be significantly lower.
Even if he managed all the obstacles, and managed to get to the academy and raise funding for his studies, will he succeed in reaching a coveted position, which will allow him social leadership?
It seems not.
The Knesset Research Institute found that the lower the socio-economic cluster, the fewer students in computer science and mathematics and the more students in education and teaching.
The gaps are huge: of the students in clusters 1-4, only about 12% study computer science and mathematics, compared with 25% in clusters 7-10.
As a graduate of the humanities and social sciences, I believe that all areas of knowledge are important, and that people should turn to studies according to the inclination of their hearts.
However, when the correlation between socio-economic status and the choice of study profession is so clear, it can be assumed that this is not a matter of real choice, but a result of jarring social inequality.
It is very difficult for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to reach occupations with high income potential and change their life course. At the time, Dr. Yaakov Nahon coined the term "upstairs" when referring in his book to the first generation of higher education, and especially to people from Asia / Africa. That the senior positions in the economy, high-tech, medicine and law, and the academic staff standards, remained the domain of the high socio-economic clusters, not only did the younger generation replicate its parents' situation, but the gaps deepened.
The process of expansion of higher education provided a solution to underprivileged populations, but the currency of higher education was eroded.
Differentiation has been created in both educational institutions and fields of study, which directly affects the academy's ability to change in social stratification.
Only when the number of students from the lower clusters reaches the prestigious faculties in classes similar to those coming from a strong socio-economic background;
Only when this young public reaches senior high-tech jobs and becomes a significant part of the senior staff of higher education institutions - only then can we determine that academia is a source of social mobility.
