The Retreat from State Education

In the present chapter the major steps of retreat from public education in Israel will be traced, and the most salient manifestations of the retreat will be discussed. I argue that the market gospel represents a total reversal of the Zionist vision of public education as well as drastic departure from the democratic purposes of education. The introduction of market in education in Israel, as we shall see, is manifested in educational policies and practices similar to those that have been discussed in previous chapters and seems to characterize educational reforms in many countries around the globe. The educational and social consequences of such practices must, nevertheless, be considered within the unique circumstances of Israeli society. I will begin by providing background information about social and cultural changes within Israeli society over the years and discuss the major rifts within Israeli society. Those changes and wide rifts facilitated the retreat from public education and paved the road for market reforms.