Equality, Equity and Excellence in Israel's Junior High Schools: Likelihood or Illusion.

Autor/in	Amir, Yehuda
Titel	Equality, Equity and Excellence in Israel's Junior High Schools: Likelihood or Illusion.
Quelle	(1984), (13 Seiten)Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Academic Achievement; Busing; Educational Objectives; Educational Quality; Educationally Disadvantaged; Equal Education; Heterogeneous Grouping; Junior High School Students; Junior High Schools; Low Income Groups; Outcomes of Education; Peer Relationship; School Organization; Social Integration; Track System (Education); Israel + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schulleistung; Educational objective; Bildungsziel; Erziehungsziel; Quality of education; Bildungsqualität; Junior High Schools; Student; Students; Sekundarstufe I; Schüler; Schülerin; Lernleistung; Schulerfolg; Peer-Beziehungen; School organisation; Schulorganisation; Soziale Integration; Leistungsgruppe; Leistungsdifferenzierung
Abstract	This paper evaluates whether both equality or equity and excellence can be achieved in the present Israeli junior high schools. While academic goals are high and are, at least to some extent, achieved, the goal of providing an equitable education for students of lower socio-economic backgrounds and different ethnic backgrounds is not achieved. In many ways the emphasis on academic excellence creates problems for disadvantaged students in that teachers feel that the greater the academic input, the greater the progress for advantaged and disadvantaged students alike. However, there are no special programs for disadvantaged students and therefore the students have no opportunity to improve. Furthermore, the transfer to junior high school involves, in most cases, busing which has a negative impact on the disadvantaged students' ability to participate in extracurricular activities, and a homeroom in which disadvantaged students are in a minority and must reject their disadvantaged peers in order to gain acceptance by the advantaged students. The author finds that the tracking system poses further problems--students are all required to take the same subjects, offered at three levels of achievement. This means that frequently disadvantaged students are studying material which will be of absolutely no use to them when they progress to a vocational high school. The disadvantaged students enter the junior high school with high expectations which are usually not met and thus contribute to a problem of negative attitude. It is recommended that administrators and policy makers consider new methods for effectively handling learning and social relations in the classroom. (CG)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC