High Court orders state to disclose ultra-Orthodox school curriculum and oversight |
The High Court of Justice on Friday ordered the state to provide information on core curriculum studies and oversight in the ultra-Orthodox school system in light of petitions challenging the recent transfer of funds to religious schools by the Finance Ministry without the required deliberations and vote legally required in the Knesset Finance Committee.
In its ruling, the court instructed the Education Ministry to submit information detailing what core subjects, such as math, science and English, ultra-Orthodox institutions are required to teach to receive funding, how those conditions differ from those required of state schools, and how they determine how much of the curriculum is being taught.
The state must also provide details regarding the training of teachers who teach core subjects in Haredi institutions, and student participation in external exams. These include the Meitzav exam, administered to fifth- and eighth-graders in Israeli schools, which tests language, math and science skills, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) study, which tests the abilities of 15-year-olds in 81 countries, including Israel, which has participated in the study since 2002.
Finally, the court demanded data on the existing Education Ministry oversight of ultra-Orthodox school systems, including inspections, self-reporting and how such findings are documented.
The state is required to submit all documents already in its possession by January 18, 2026.
The ruling came after the court heard