Now it's clear that we are a nation that likes to flog itself. Each year, following our defiant community leaders, we say, "We have sinned, transgressed and served our time." But when the rain begins to fall, we don't raise our voices to say anything. That is exactly what is happening now, with the publication of results from international tests in mathematics and science. Finally, Israeli education is improving and massive efforts by principals, teachers and the Education Ministry are beginning to bear fruit. So where is the support, trust and a little encouragement, not to mention, God forbid, acclamation- We must admit that the achievements of Israeli students are improving. On Third International Mathematics and Science Study tests, they moved from 24th place in math and 25th in science in 2007 to 7th in math and 13th in science in 2011. Detractors will ask what's the big surprise? The Education Ministry is pouring money into the system, paying overtime and training teachers. What's wrong with that? Critics add that these are short-term gains and that only a sampling of children were tested. But does success also come easily to the Finnish and the Japanese, without effort- It's time we stop disparaging the education system. Sometimes it seems like there are people who make a living from criticism and complaints. So instead of explaining that there is no chance and everything is awful, perhaps it's time for a new attitude? The effort to improve education is a task for an entire generation. Today the movement is being led by pioneering teachers who set out before others; but to be truly successful, many more people must join as well. The education cart must first get out of the mud, though the current situation is not a fateful decree; improving education is not a mirage, it is within our grasp. There are no magic solutions nor any bypass roads. It requires hard and challenging work on a daily basis, but the level of satisfaction is huge. We must not rest on our laurels; the times are changing and we must change with them. The world is not stagnant; education can change the game. The OECD's Program for International Student Assessment exams in 2015 will no longer test only students' knowledge and familiarity with the material; students will also be asked to demonstrate in-depth skills, such as research abilities, teamwork and computer proficiency. In every country that has succeeded so far in education, they are now working on the way they teach and learn; not just memorizing and practicing, but also drawing conclusions, making connections between subjects, and dealing with new areas. We as parents also have a role to play over the next few years. We must realize that our children need different education today than we received at their age. This requires a complex internalization, since as parents we read them the books that our parents read to us and sing them the songs that we heard growing up. We must now wake up from our nostalgic longings and understand that we have to be there for our children, not for ourselves. Today's children, who will be tomorrow's adult citizens, require knowledge far beyond our own. To survive and thrive in the global village, our children will be have to be creative and innovative, critical and curious, sharing and tolerant and flexible and durable, all at the same time. So kudos to the Education Ministry, the school principals and, above all, the teachers and students. This is an important first step and I wish to mark a trend change. If this is the direction and we're going the right way, the rest depends only on us, the citizens, and what we choose to do from here onwards. The writer is the executive director of the Trump Foundation and a member of the directorate of Hakol Hinuch ("Everything is Education"), the movement for advancing education in Israel.
Future children
אלי הורביץ
הכותב הוא מנכ"ל קרן טראמפ לחינוך
