Knesset Report Exposes Geographic and Social Gaps in Identifying Gifted Students
A new Knesset report reveals severe geographic and socioeconomic disparities in Israel's identification of gifted students, with most candidates coming from central districts.
A new Knesset research report reveals significant socioeconomic and geographic disparities in the identification of gifted students in Israel. More than half of all students recommended for gifted programs come from the central region and Tel Aviv.
The report, commissioned by MK Mairav Cohen from Yesh Atid, shows that in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years, the percentage of second-graders recommended for gifted programs averaged 5.3% in high socioeconomic clusters, compared to 2.2% in middle clusters and only 1.3% in low clusters.
Dr. Nurit Paz-Baruch from Bar-Ilan University's Faculty of Education noted that the data raises questions about whether adjusting admission thresholds is sufficient. She emphasized that socioeconomic gaps stem from a broader developmental process, noting that giftedness is not a fixed trait but a potential that develops over time through interaction with the environment.
The gender breakdown also reveals a complex picture. In the 2023-2024 school year, 19,970 students took the second-stage exam: 12,063 boys and 7,907 girls. Boys accounted for roughly 60.4% of examinees, while girls made up only 39.6%. Over the past decade, the gender gap in test participation has widened from 12.5 percentage points to roughly 21 points.
Prof. Hali Pinson and Prof. Ortal Slobodin from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev pointed out that challenging screening tests often lead parents and educators to refrain from referring certain students. They noted that private preparatory courses, lack of parental awareness, and technical barriers such as public transportation issues prevent talented children from participating.
MK Cohen concluded: "Giftedness is not determined by a residential address, nor by gender, yet this is precisely how the system behaves in identifying gifted youth. The education system cannot merely replicate social flaws; it must strive to be the engine that fixes them."
In response, the Ministry of Education stated that it operates a systematic, multi-layered mechanism for identifying and nurturing gifted students, taking into account varying starting points while expanding programs to new areas such as Kiryat Shmona, Umm al-Fahm, Netivot, and Maghar.
