In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

8 One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward: Special Education in Israel 151 Thomas P. Gumpel The Israeli education system in general and the special education system in particular face enormous challenges. Israel is a highly complex society, fractured into different sectors where each sector unabashedly pushes its own agenda and tries to dictate government policy. Israel is also an immigrant country with a large indigenous population and is engaged in an ongoing political, national, and military conflict with enemies without and competing national narratives within. It would be inconceivable that these monumental stresses would not impact on society’s greatest instrument of socialization, social control, and homogenization: the education system. The provision of special services to children with special educational needs is a civil and human rights issue, and so these fractures in Israeli society are amplified in the special education system. All national education systems, Israel included, develop through the interplay between larger sociohistorical, national, demographic, and bureaucratic requirements (Gumpel & Awartani, 2003; Gumpel & Nir, 2005). Of course, this is also true if we examine challenges and the structure and future trajectories of special education in Israel. As we shall see, this small country faces a series of challenges that are unique to the Israeli context, as well as other challenges that are common to other ethnically diverse nations. As a country facing both real and perceived existential threats, while simultaneously occupying the Palestinian Territories, the Israeli education system faces additional challenges . Some of these issues relate to professional and bureaucratic aspects of the system; however, other challenges stem from the ongoing ethnic and national conflicts. Let us first examine some social and cultural issues shaping the current Israeli education system by (very) briefly exploring their historical and political roots. From there, we will examine recent changes in the education and treatment of children with special educational needs, focusing on the move toward the provision of services in general education settings and personnel preparation. As an example of the convergence of national, ethnic, and political considerations, and how they can influence both general and special educational policy, we will specifically examine the special education system in Jerusalem, which is arguably the most complicated city in the world. AN ISR A ELI PRIMER The State of Israel is a small country (20,770 square kilometers) with a primarily industrial and service-oriented economy (96.5%). The population of 7.5 million is composed of two primary ethnic groups: 75.5% Jewish and 20.4% Israeli-Palestinians International Practices.indb 151 International Practices.indb 151 10/14/11 5:45 PM 10/14/11 5:45 PM 152 Thomas P. Gumpel (also called Israeli-Arabs) who are either Muslims or Christians (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2009a). Druze and Bedouins are two ethnic groups subsumed within the Arab sector. There are four primary religions represented in the country: Jewish (75.5%); Muslim (17% predominately Sunni Muslim); Christian (2%); and Druze (1.7%) (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2009b). Despite the fact that Israeli-Arabs comprise 20.4% of the entire population, they account for 24.75% of the school-aged population (Ministry of Education, 2005), implying a young population, a higher birth rate, and future demographic changes in the state’s ethnic mix. Israel has five major cities: Jerusalem (the capital), Tel Aviv, Haifa, Umm El Fahem, and Beer Sheva. Jerusalem and Haifa are mixed cities with both Jewish and Arab populations. Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva are predominately Jewish, and Umm El Fahem is Arab. Most towns in Israel have a Jewish majority and are located within a relatively small geographic area (from south of Tel Aviv to Haifa in the north). On the other hand, Israeli-Arabs are dispersed in four primary geographical areas: Arab towns and cities, mixed Jewish and Jewish-Arab cities, villages, and unrecognized settlements, with different demographic groups inhabiting different types of settlements. The Druze population lives almost exclusively in villages in the northern part of the country. The oncenomadic Bedouin population lives primarily in unofficial and unrecognized villages in the southern part of the country. In this rich ethnic mosaic, the Jewish population can be roughly divided into four groups: secular; traditional (keeps some sort of Jewish traditions and holidays and would be considered “reform” or “conservative” Judaism in North America); religious (would be considered “orthodox” Judaism in North America: Men are noticeably visible by the knitted yarmulke); and the ultraorthodox (who live in separate communities, often known as Hasidic Jews in North America: Men are noticeably visible...

Share