The top floor of the Oranim College commands a beautiful view of Emek Zvulun and the Carmel Ridge, now covered with the blossoms of spring. But today, growth and development mark not only the view from the school, but also the progress that is being celebrated inside – innovative ideas, new educational programs, willingness and motivation on the part of the many educators who attended the course and are all working together to promote democratic education in Israel.
The day is launched by Dr. Nitzan Leibovitch of IDI's Political Education Research Project with a lecture on IDI's motivation in initiating the project – concern about Israel's youth's alienation from, and disgust with, politics. Leibovitch also explained how IDI's educational program was formed – on the one hand, groundwork with teams of teachers and students, and on the other, academic research that examined the reasons for the feelings of frustration with democracy throughout the world – as well as recommendations for improving the situation.
The team is striving to design textbooks and educational programs on the basis of questionnaires and surveys that have been conducted in schools. The surveys indicate that politics is almost never introduced in class and teachers are apprehensive about raising this delicate issue. Thus, extremely important topics, such as the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and "Who is a Jew?", are not broached, although questions of identity and Jewish identity are raised.
Dr. Leibovitch presented the German Model, his main area of expertise. In 1945, after the Second World War, Germany developed and introduced many educational programs in an effort to strengthen democracy and incorporate it into many aspects of daily life using educational tools. Educational programs in Germany were based on two main models:
- Cultural Education, which included promoting nationalism and developing the teaching echelon and organizations that establish national institutions.
- Education for Democracy to strengthen political education, which was designed to meet concerns similar to those prevalent in Israel today – an aversion to politics among youth.
Political education in Germany was based on research, innovative theory and practical recommendations that were presented to policy makers. Education towards politics became obligatory in all public schools, which strengthened democratic principles of discourse and reciprocal responsibility.
Dr. Leibovitch's lecture aroused much interest in the German Model, which was followed by a discussion on the possibility of implementing such a model in Israel and on the appropriate methods of research in this field – comparative research, quantitative research or an in-depth analysis of the situation in Israel.
Daphna Gruber, head of IDI's Educational Program, surveyed IDI's activity in the realm of education, which has been ongoing for over six years, and has been introduced to over 170 schools throughout the country. IDI, an independent, non-partisan think tank, developed an interest in education through its Constitution by Consensus Project, after internalizing the fact that any constitution relies heavily on a long-term investment in high school students, on a broader knowledge of democracy and politics, and on civic education. IDI's educational flagship program is "Living Democracy", which enables schools to implement the vision expounded in the Kremnitzer Report (1996).
The Living Democracy Project, which is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and local education leadership, is an attempt to provide comprehensive Civic Studies and a deep understanding of democracy throughout 12 years of education. The program is based on a unique community model – a steering committee from within the community, including representatives of the local authority, the educational administration, a regional coordinator and school coordinators, all working together to design a program that incorporates Civic Studies, involvement in the community, and the establishment of a democratic environment within the school. The program has so far been fully implemented in three Israeli towns – the Bedouin town of Horfeish in the Galil, the Arab town of Tamra in the Galil, and the Jewish town of Netivot in the Negev.
- In Netivot, Democracy Studies have been comprehensively reinforced – mainly in public-religious schools.
- In Horfeish, the steering committee chose several values – honor, acceptance, civic and social commitment, equality, etc. – and initiates projects that addresses them, such as the development of a system for marketing the town to tourists, setting up an Internet site, and the improvement and development of a religious site – all run by students in conjunction with the local authority. The steering committee also reinforces Democracy Studies in grade schools and high schools, conducts in-service training courses for teachers, and has set up a youth club at the local community center.
- In Tamra, the projects that are run by the local steering committee, which meets regularly with Vera Yogev of IDI, are based on the values of involvement, volunteering, acceptance of the other, and building an identity. Mr. Nader Hijazzi, the local programs coordinator, presented the diverse activities in this Muslim town.
Ms. Vera Yogev, coordinator for IDI in the towns of Tamra and Horfeish, explained the structure of the program and its main goal: to create a link between studies and activities – to implement what is learned in the classroom through involvement in the community. The community model allows for the successful cooperation of the local authority with the Ministry of Education, and the link between studies and activity focuses on issues that meet the needs of the community, thus, strengthening the involvement of the children in their immediate environment.
Some examples of ongoing projects:
- Grade schools: involvement with deaf-mute children, increased awareness of car accidents followed by the presentation of recommendations to the local authorities, and environmental activities.
- Junior high schools: meetings with elderly people to discuss culture and tradition, responsibility and respect.
- High schools: volunteering in grade schools, multicultural sessions which introduce Druse and Jewish students to one another, helping people with special needs and promoting dialogue between Jews and Arabs.
The meeting ended on an optimistic note. As is usually the case when educators meet in order to innovate and develop programs, this was a genuine opportunity for mutual enrichment and the sharing of ideas and experiences that have been accumulated over the years.