State Education Law
Education
Active
1953
The law establishes separate, independent systems—state secular and state religious schools—to satisfy the distinct needs of the Jewish community. It codifies the objectives of the educational system, which serve to advance Jewish culture and Zionist ideology.
While Article 2(11), an amendment added to the law in 2000, lists one of the objectives of public education “To acknowledge the language, culture, history, heritage and unique traditions of the Arab populations, and of other groups, in the State of Israel, and to recognize the equal rights of all citizens in Israel,” this weak language of acknowledgement falls short of mandating the incorporation of this objective into the curriculum and also diminishes the status of Arabic, an official state language.
While Article 2(11), an amendment added to the law in 2000, lists one of the objectives of public education “To acknowledge the language, culture, history, heritage and unique traditions of the Arab populations, and of other groups, in the State of Israel, and to recognize the equal rights of all citizens in Israel,” this weak language of acknowledgement falls short of mandating the incorporation of this objective into the curriculum and also diminishes the status of Arabic, an official state language.
