Effective reforms need time: getting them approved depends on amassing political capital and engaging in protracted negotiations; implementing them involves a complicated process that demands deep commitment on many levels. Moreover, lessons about the success of a reform can be learned only many years after it has been launched.
The average term of a Minister of Education lasts two or three years. Israel’s political culture has little respect for continuity; when a new minister takes over, he or she feels no obligation towards decisions made by the predecessor. Often, the new minister will seek to “leave an imprint” precisely through changes he or she makes to the education system and has therefore absolutely no interest in adhering to the predecessor’s path.
Schools are acutely affected by the rapid turnover of government. They need to adapt themselves to each new reform and invest considerable resources in its implementation, resources that may be totally wasted. The result is damage to the ongoing quality of education provided to students. This is a problem that the whole system is well aware of, yet it cannot seem to find a solution.
One idea is to transfer the task of managing and operating Israel’s education system from central government to local government, which is a far more stable system. Local government elections occur once in five years and mayors are often voted in for two or three terms, allowing them to push through long-term processes and even to witness and measure their impact while still in office. Furthermore, as opposed to national government which is focused on security issues, foreign relations and macro-economics, local leadership is assessed to a great extent on education, and both the political and professional ranks in the municipality are heavily engaged with this issue.
Devolving authority to local government could be brought about by establishing a new professional division, either within the local authority or within a confederation of local authorities, with broad jurisdiction over management and implementation, similar to the hierarchy that underpins the Council for Higher Education which is a public body independent from the political chain of command. An education administration within local government would be comprised of professional officers who are not influenced by national elections (as the Ministry of Education is today), and could execute and monitor processes of long duration. Overall responsibility would remain with the Ministry; it would continue to set policy and serve as the regulator, it would still be in charge of budgets and standards. The local authority, or confederation of authorities, would be in charge only of operations.
There are additional advantages in delegating execution of educational processes to the local level. It would enable the education system to adapt itself to the various needs of different towns and suit programs to the specific characteristics and features of the region. Each regional education administration would be able to raise funds independently, as some local authorities already do, and the Ministry of Education would take care of leveling the field between the different towns by reinforcing the socio-economically weak authorities and helping them develop resources and expertise in realizing educational initiatives.
“Yeruham - Education City” - an initiative that sets in place a multi-disciplinary educational continuum, under the leadership of Yeruham Mayor Michael Biton, is an excellent example. The local council has recruited philanthropic partners to support the town’s education system; in time, philanthropy will gradually decrease while local and national government assume funding responsibility.
Devolution to local authorities is a conspicuous trend in western countries. A decade ago the Dovrat Commission pointed out the problems inherent in implementing long-term processes in Israel’s education system and recommended establishing regional education administrations as one of three levels of management connecting the Ministry of Education and schools. It is not too late to take up this recommendation. Such a reform, the most important one, the one that could bring about all the other current and future reforms, awaits only the next Minister of Education.
The author is Director of the Association for Change in Education - Established by the Rashi Foundation
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 26, 2015
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