The expected reform of the matriculation exams in the fields of humanities and society comes from good motives: the stated goal of the Ministry of Education is to enable learning that requires not only memorization, but a deeper understanding.
However, the message to the younger generation is clear: cultivating culture and spirit is less important.
Although under the reform the humanities and social sciences will not disappear from schools, but naturally, when there are no external matriculation exams that objectively measure success, the importance attached to these subjects will diminish in all involved: the school principal, measured by his students' achievement in matriculation results;
Students, who will invest more in places where they are measured;
Parents, who seek a good financial future for their children;
And institutions of higher learning, which non-objective measurement will prevent them from accepting candidates based on these scores.
If until today one of the important roles of the school was to guide the student and help him form his identity and personality, convey values and adopt critical thinking by engaging and discussing issues that would arise only in humanities and social studies, then on the wings of reform, the Ministry of Education promotes schools To prepare students for the world of employment, which revolves primarily around financial gain.
The guidance of all students to profitable professions can indeed create a generation that will develop its realistic abilities, but may become numb, superficial and one that has not experienced in analyzing various humane situations.
The humanities and social sciences have a great influence on society, also in Israel.
It is a diverse society, whose young people are forced to deal with complex ethical issues, immediately upon completion of the matriculation exams.
How will they manage to deal with these situations, when they have never engaged in the analysis of the person's soul ?!
That we did not discuss historical processes?
Who did not ask questions about the essence of existence?
Rather, understanding social psychology, history, and law play a crucial role in the development of leaders.
Israel's leaders, who excelled in these fields, gave the country great achievements no less than the great achievements of those engaged in the high-tech world.
And this reform has a socio-economic side effect.
Looking to the future, reducing the importance of the science and spiritual professions will further reduce exposure to the spiritual contents of a population coming from a background of economic hardship - the same public that does not have the privilege of joining designated schools, consuming culture and classes, or choosing non-lucrative career development.
Data from the Knesset Research Institute show that the proportion of students in the Faculty of Social Sciences from clusters 1-2 is 12.3%, compared with 21.1% from clusters 9-10.
In the arts, the percentage of students coming from clusters 1-2 is 2% - compared to 5.8% from clusters 9-10.
That is, in the future the result may be more difficult: a homogeneous generation of cultural and spiritual figures, with the same background and high socio-economic background.
This will lead to the blurring of the unique mosaic of identities in Israeli culture.
Therefore, reducing to the point of eliminating the spirit world is not the solution.
A message that without the new core subjects, students have no place in the world of employment - is not true.
This is evidenced by recruiters in high-tech companies, who have recruited intellectuals and company to their ranks and testify to their unique benefits.
The State of Israel also needs social workers, anthropologists, poets and all spiritual and social figures.
Solutions can be found that will develop critical thinking and not test memorization abilities.
Our students deserve more, and so do we as a country spiced up by them in the future.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us