Nobel Laureate: Israel's Greatest Asset is Human Capital

Jerusalem, 29 November, 2016 (TPS) -- Education Minister Naftali Bennett said Israel should view the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ( TIMSS) results, released Tuesday and showing a significant decrease in the ranking of Israeli eighth-graders in math and science since 2011, as a “national emergency” that should propel the country to invest more in math and science education.

The study showed that Israeli students dropped from 7th to 16th in math, and 13th to 19th in science.

“To all those who needed further proof that we need to revolutionize our math and science educational system, the results of these tests… prove it is now a national emergency,” said Bennett in a statement.

“For the future of our country and [to educate our] potential future Nobel Prize winners, we will continue to push our students to study math at the highest levels even in the face of criticism,” he concluded.

The TIMSS results coincided with the first International Summit for Start-Up Education of Israel Sci-Tech schools, held Tuesday and Wednesday in Jerusalem and chaired by Technion Professor Dan Shechtman, winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The conference  brings together international business, technology and education leaders to address the need for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education to to now also include a greater focus on art, design and innovation in an integrative system coined I-STEAM.

Shechtman told Tazpit Press Service (TPS) that despite the TIMSS results, Israel’s educational system excells in high-tech and innovation.

“We have a very high-standard of science and technology education in our universities while also maintaining relatively good vocational education as well,” he said.

Prof. Shechtman explained that Israeli students are pressured to pursue university studies, largely as a result of encouragement at the high school, or even primary school levels to pursue technology careers. At the same time, however, he said Israeli society has a tendency to overlook the quality and importance of vocational education. In his view, that’s a mistake.

“People forget that that there are many developed countries, such as Switzerland, where only a very small percentage of youngsters even go to general high schools, and instead proceed directly to vocational high schools.

“We need to come back to the old way of teaching technicians, like we did 20-30 years ago. Many could become great professionals, working with computers or other machines and earning very good salaries. We should invest more in their advancement,” he said.

When asked about the challenges of educating youngsters in a changing world, Shechtman argued that the key to adaptation is a strong foundation in the basics.

“When you come to study in any science field, you are definitely not the most advanced technology savvy in the world because and you cannot know what the future holds. But if you teach the basics properly, then the sum total of our universities can very easily adapt to new technology because they hold solid underpinnings.” he argued.

Also in concert with the conference, he Economy, Immigration and Absorption and Finance Ministries, as well as the Planning and Budgeting Committee at the Council for Higher Education have created a Israel National Brain Gain Program as a cooperative project to reverse the “brain drain” trend which has seen many Israeli academics leaving the country for foreign pastures in recent years.

“Israel has a high-quality teaching system but our greatest asset is our human potential.” said Professor Shechtman.

“This country has many exceptionally bright minds, compared to other countries. That is  the most important natural resource a country can possess, and we need to develop it properly in order to succeed,” he concluded.