The 2022 PISA research results examine the achievements of students in reading, mathematics, and science. The results show that Haredi girls lead the achievements of girls in Israel in mathematics and reading. They also surpass the average of OECD countries by a significant margin. In reading, Haredi students scored 522 compared to 476 in the OECD, and in mathematics, they scored 474 compared to 472.
Even compared to the education systems in Israel, the score of Haredi girls in mathematics is 474 compared to 473 in public education, and 454 in the National-Religious public education. In reading, the score of Haredi students was 522, compared to 510 in public education and 494 in National-Religious public education. These remarkable results point to the tremendous potential within the Haredi education system regarding achievements and skills required for leading professions in the economy.
Eli Paley, the head of the Haredi Institute for Public Affairs, states: “Instead of examining the education system through the narrow lens of core studies, PISA research evaluates skills relevant to the job market. Just as with the results for accounting, where Haredi seminary students excelled and achieved the top results with a 96 percent passing rate, similarly, in PISA research, Haredi female students prove their skills and the inherent potential within the Haredi sector.”
Paley adds, “It is worth noting that the teachers who brought Haredi girls to high achievements, even in comparison to other OECD countries, are teachers who, for years, did not receive the salary increases of the ‘Ofek Hadash’ reform. In recent days, after approving ‘Ofek Hadash’ supplements for them, an unfair public debate is underway about whether these teachers, who have proven their contribution to the skills of their students and their contribution to the economy, are entitled to receive what a non-Haredi teacher is entitled to.”