Last update - 00:00 18/09/2007
Study: Sharp drop in government spending on higher education in Israel
By Or Kashti and Tamara Traubman, Haaretz Correspondent
The government's spending on higher education in Israel has dropped and the dependence of the higher education system on private funding has risen, according to a study conducted by the Organization for Economic and Cooperation and Development (OECD) released on Tuesday.
The study found that the proportion of private funding in the Israeli higher education system is one of the highest among developed nations. In 2004, Israel was 6th out of the 24 OECD nations in the proportion of private funding in the higher education budget. Since then, the proportion has gone up 40 to 50 percent.
The study states that if Israel's policy regarding higher education does not change, Israel will find its education levels lagging behind other developed countries.
Currently, only a third of Israeli youth pursue a degree at a college or university. In Israel, children under the age of five will be in school for a total average of 16 years as opposed to in developed nations where they will receive 17.5 years of education on average.
The study also calculated the total amount of government spending on higher education in relation to the number of students, gross national product, and population growth. The calculations found that Israel has one of the lowest ratios of government spending on higher education, surpassing only Greece.
The report also supplies data regarding some of the most controversial subjects that have stood at the center of the dispute regarding the Schochat Committee for reforms in the higher education. For example, while the Schochat Committee has called for a 70 percent hike in tuition from NIS 8500 to 14,800, the study found that in 2005 Israel already had the 6th highest tuition of the 23 OECD nations.
The Schochat panel has said in response that while the tuition in Israel is relatively high, the rest of the world is following suit and raising tuition fees as well. However, according to the report, between the years of 2004-2005, tuition fees in most OECD nations remained the same, or even decreased.