Israel's Matriculation Eligibility Rises to 77.9% Amid Demographic Gains
Israel's Ministry of Education released its annual data showing bagrut eligibility rising to 77.9%, alongside improvements in advanced math, English, and narrowing sector gaps.
Israel's matriculation (bagrut) eligibility rate has continued to rise, reaching 77.9% among 12th-grade students, according to the Ministry of Education's annual "Educational Picture" data released on Wednesday. This marks an increase from 76.6% the previous year, alongside notable improvements in advanced studies and reductions in demographic gaps.
Breakdown by Sectors and Excellence
The data reveals significant variations across different segments of Israeli society. In the Arab sector, eligibility saw a sharp increase from 78.3% to 83.9%. Meanwhile, the ultra-Orthodox sector stood at 27.6%, reflecting a slight rise from 26.7% the previous year. Overall, approximately 101,000 students qualified for a matriculation certificate.
Excellence bagrut rates also climbed, moving from 13.1% to 14.4%, with the number of excellence-track graduates growing by 2,200 to reach 18,743 students.
Top Performing Schools and Municipalities
Municipalities such as Gush Halaj, Horbish, Sajur, Elkana, Buk'ata, and Tamar achieved a 100% bagrut eligibility rate. Among large cities and local councils, Givat Shmuel led with 98.1%, closely followed by Givatayim at 97.9%.
Leading the top 20 high schools nationwide for excellence bagrut was Odem Darka High School in Katzrin with 97.4%, followed by Al-Bashaer School in Sakhnin at 82.4%, and the Druze Science and Leadership High School in Yarka at 80.6%.
In mathematics, the Yarka Druze Science and Leadership school ranked first in five-unit eligibility at 98.4%, followed by Katzrin's Odem Darka at 97.4%. In English, the Arts School in Ashkelon achieved a 100% rate in five-unit studies.
Funding and Classroom Density
The report highlighted a downward trend in average class sizes over the past decade. In Jewish primary education, the average class size dropped from 29 pupils a decade ago to 26.9, while in Arab primary education, it decreased from 27.2 to 25.9.
Regarding budgetary allocation, primary school pupils in the periphery receive roughly 17% more funding on average than their peers in central regions. In the Jerusalem geographical district, average primary expenditure per pupil stands at 26,299 NIS, compared to 22,471 NIS in the Central District.
Minister of Education Yoav Kisch praised the findings, emphasizing the resilience of students and teaching staff amid wartime challenges. "These figures present a broad and truthful picture of Israel's education system, showing rising achievements alongside narrowing socioeconomic gaps," Kisch stated.
