JERUSALEM — Former prime minister Naftali Bennett unveiled a proposal for a unified national education framework called 'From Tribes to a People'. He presented the plan at the Israel Democracy Institute's Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society in Jerusalem.
The proposal includes a common curriculum. This curriculum focuses on Hebrew, English, mathematics, civics, Torah, and Jewish and Zionist traditions. Muslim students would have the option of studying the Quran in place of the Torah.
The plan allocates 60 percent of study time to shared subjects. The remaining 40 percent of study time would be for community-specific studies. Schools and local authorities would receive greater autonomy over the portion of the curriculum not included in the shared core.
Bennett stated that the plan would establish a single state education system for all children in Israel. He described the approach as a 60-40 method, where the 60 percent covers shared subjects and the 40 percent allows each community to expand according to its preferences. He further said that Israeli children would study both Einstein and Maimonides so that all citizens would have a shared story. Bennett added that this approach would transform the nation, he said.
"I am proud to unveil before you the most important plan that we will implement in my government: the 'From Tribes to a People' plan, to establish one state (public) education system for all the children of Israel," Bennett said.
"For all these years, we said, 'Let them study mathematics and English.' No—that is not enough. They need to receive both the tools and the values to be part of a Jewish and democratic state."
"This will work according to a 60-40 method: 60 percent will be the shared subjects that everyone studies, and 40 percent - each community will be able to expand according to its wishes."
"The children of Israel will study both Einstein and Maimonides. All Israeli children and all Israeli citizens will have a shared story."
"This will turn us from tribes into a people: one people, diverse, colorful, and wonderful, very opinionated, but a people that has a shared story."
No independent assessment of Naftali Bennett’s claims was available.