Examining Historical Contexts and Foundational Questions
The launch of a new course comes in the backdrop of the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, which outlawed segregation in public schools. Around the same time, Israel established its own divided education system, comprising four distinct streams: Jewish secular, orthodox, ultra-orthodox, and Arab schools, each offering autonomy to communities based on nationality and religious practice.
The course, taught by a graduate of Israel’s education system now teaching in the U.S., invites students to grapple with pivotal questions about education and its role in divided societies. It challenges whether segregation in U.S. schools has been fully eradicated, examines the implications of group recognition in Israeli schools, and investigates how Israel’s unique model might inform understanding of U.S. education policies and societal dynamics. The course serves as a platform to compare and reflect on the contrasting values, policies, and practices of the two nations’ education systems.
Exploring Policy, Society, and Controversy
Central to the course is an exploration of how education intersects with societal divisions, with a focus on Israel’s education system. It evaluates how core institutional values shape policies and, in turn, influence social dynamics. Students delve into topics such as Israel’s state-mandated curriculum, the issue of segregation, and the complexities of free speech. These discussions aim to uncover the societal values that render such issues contentious.
Students are encouraged to broaden their understanding by applying these insights to U.S. education policy debates, including controversies surrounding book bans, affirmative action, and assessment metrics. By comparing and contrasting the two nations, students develop analytical frameworks to critically assess how education policies mirror and shape societal values.
The course also integrates diverse educational experiences, examining schools, summer camps, and universities, to uncover how institutional values contribute to broader societal structures. This multidimensional approach enables students to critically analyze their own education systems and consider implications for social cohesion.
Relevance Amidst Contemporary Challenges
The course’s relevance is heightened by current global and domestic events, such as the Israel-Hamas war and growing polarization within the U.S. These challenges underscore the urgency of fostering dialogue about education’s role in navigating issues like free speech, group rights, and societal solidarity. Academic institutions are increasingly becoming arenas for these critical discussions, making this course particularly timely.
Through an array of materials, including scholarly works, policy documents, news articles, and the Israeli TV series The Lesson, the course equips students with the tools to engage with complex educational and societal challenges. Texts like Israel’s Declaration of Independence and the Israeli Council for Higher Education’s initiatives to increase Arab student access to universities complement institutional guidelines on free speech, such as those from the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design.
Ultimately, the course aims to empower students to form evidence-based opinions on education policies and their implications for divided societies. By fostering critical thinking and encouraging informed dialogue, the course prepares students to navigate and contribute to the evolving intersection of education, policy, and society.
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