Systems of state education are a crucial means for realizing the state’s focal aspiration of guaranteeing solidarity and civil loyalty (Van Kemenade, 1985 pp. 854ff. ). The means at hand include the state’s structuring and organization of schooling, determination of what education is compulsory, examinations that decide admittance to institutions of secondary and tertiary education, the design of educational aids, curricula, textbooks, didactic methods, and the general distribution of resources to schools. A further apparatus is that of teacher education and the regulations for appointment to the schools and remuneration (van Kemenade, 1985, p. 850). There are indications that the issue of equality and equity for all in education is a dilemma prevalent in systems of state education, among others, because the advancement of equity is liable to interfere with the state’s main goal. It is highly likely that the failing does not derive from contingent misund- standings, but rather from systemic contradictions. With this in mind, this book suggests a broad-spectrum approach to understanding how state education gets done, so to speak, and what in the process seems to obstruct impartiality. The case that I will examine is that of the state system of education in Israel. Underlying the study is the sociological assumption that an analysis of how one state system works is likely to bear a message that can be generalized.

There are many books on educational change, its origins, processes and consequences. The unique contribution of this volume lies in its careful documenting and reporting of the reactions of teachers themselves, interviewed in 9 countries, about the changes they have experienced and in the comparative nature of the study, which employs both qualitative and quantitative methods in a complementary way. In Part One the educational background to the study in each country is described and teachers’ responses to a common research, semi-structured interview schedule are reported. In Part Two the same database is subjected to a statistical analysis for comparative purposes in order to reveal similarities and differences between countries. The project set out to obtain an international picture of the changes in education which have had the greatest impact on the lives of teachers; to explore how actual and perceived changes have influenced teachers’ experience and practice; and to identify critical factors in the implementation of change. The result is a book that will enable students to familiarise themselves with practices in other countries and policy makers to evaluate the implications of changes in different social, economic and cultural environments.

This volume describes and analyses the structure of Israel's education system from a political and policy-making perspective.

The Institute for the Study of Educational Systems has from its inception set itself the goal of analyzing all aspects of the Israeli education system in the 1980s as the basis for follow-up studies on subjects of concern to the system's decision makers. This research report is intended to complete the analysis of the trends in the education budgets of the 1980s carried out in a previous study. That report examined how the allocation of resources to education reflects the policy of the government and local authorities and expresses national and local priorities and the various manifestations of the decline in the level of education services. When combined with that report, this monograph, which monitors the changes in education policy over the last decade and analyzes the motivations behind the pronouncements and decisions of the system's policymakers, unfolds a comprehensive picture of education in Israel, its problems, structure, sectors, and trends. Divided into five chapters, chapter 1 discusses efficiency as an economic value versus equality as a social value, equality in education, educational equality versus educational elitism, and educational choice as a basis for education policy. Chapter 2 describes the landmarks of education policy in Israel, the strategies of formal equality, differential resources, and reform and integration in education. Chapter 3 focuses on the conflicting aims of the previous decade, describing state religious education, technological education, education reform, and Arab education. Chapter 4 describes what actually took place in the decade. Chapter 5 discusses trends for the future. (DK)

This edited volume offers profiles of contemporary Israeli Haredi (i.e., Jewish Ultra-Orthodox) society from several disciplinary points of view, resisting a generalized approach and examining the different, sometimes competing currents, that define it. It is argued that Haredi society has undergone a process of rejuvenation in recent history: demographically, it has experienced steady and consistent growth; on the Israeli political stage, Haredi parties have become increasingly influential; and culturally, the Haredi presence is increasingly felt in Israeli news media, popular movies, and TV series. Each of the chapters in the book focuses on a particular topic and combines research findings with an assessment of the current state of the field. These topics encompass Haredi ideology, politics, military service, education, geography, the media, and healthcare – together, they paint a complex picture of Haredi society as one of contradictory layers, dimensions, and aspects. Making sense of contemporary Haredi society is critical for anyone interested in understanding Israeli society as a whole, but the book will also appeal to historians of religion, scholars of contemporary conservative enclave religious societies and cultures, and those who focus on Jewish studies in the modern era.

This landmark collection explores the origins and foundations of music education in Europe, The Americas, Africa and Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East, and considers the inclusion of music as part of the compulsory school curriculum in the context of the historical, social and political landscape. Within each chapter, the contributors explore the following key areas: - the aims, objectives and content of the music curriculum - teaching methods - the provision and training of teachers of music - the experiences of pupils This fully revised second edition includes new chapters on Brazil, Israel, Kosovo, Lithuania, and Turkey, along with questions to encourage reflection and discussion. A concluding chapter has been added to encourage readers to consider the evolution of music education globally. The Foreword for this new edition has been written by Sheila Woodward, President of the International Society for Music Education. Contributors have been carefully selected to represent countries that have incorporated music into compulsory schooling for a variety of reasons resulting in a diverse collection which will guide future actions and policy.

Family remains the most powerful social idiom and one of the most powerful social structures throughout the Arab world. To engender love of nation among its citizens, national movements portray the nation as a family. To motivate loyalty, political leaders frame themselves as fathers, mothers, brothers, or sisters to their clients, parties, or the citizenry. To stimulate production, economic actors evoke the sense of duty and mutual commitment of family obligation. To sanctify their edicts, clerics wrap religion in the moralities of family and family in the moralities of religion. Social and political movements, from the most secular to the most religious, pull on the tender strings of family love to recruit and bind their members to each other. To call someone family is to offer them almost the highest possible intimacy, loyalty, rights, reciprocities, and dignity. In recognizing the significance of the concept of family, this state-of-the-art literature review captures the major theories, methods, and case studies carried out on Arab families over the past century. The book offers a country-by-country critical assessment of the available scholarship on Arab families. Sixteen chapters focus on specific countries or groups of countries; seven chapters offer examinations of the literature on key topical issues. Joseph’s volume provides an indispensable resource to researchers and students, and advances Arab family studies as a critical independent field of scholarship.