Israeli schools are allocating more time on religious subjects compared to any other countries in the world.
According to the data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Israel allocates 14% of classroom hours in teaching religious subjects compared to European countries which spend only 4%. That is 3.5 hours more teaching time for Bible studies, reports Haaretz.
The goal is Bible for every child, not just a computer for every child. —Rafi Peretz, Israel’s Education Minister
In addition to the required hours on religious studies in elementary, Israel also provides voluntary religious classes after school hours.
Education Minister Rafi Peretz emphasized the importance of the Bible in Israeli schools. “The goal is Bible for every child, not just a computer for every child.”
Speaking at a seminar at the Herzog Academic College, Peretz said, “Whoever studies the Bible has no questions about our right to the land, and he has no questions about who this people is and what our hierarchy of values is as members of this wonderful people.”
Israel’s Education Ministry adjusted the number of classroom hours spent on certain subjects in elementary school to favor religious studies. Last year, the compulsory hours for math was reduced to 30 hours a week from 36 hours, while sciences and technology dropped to 12 hours from 18.
Among Israel’s state-religious schools, students spend 55 weekly hours for Bible and Jewish studies.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayu proclaimed that Israel’s source of power is its faith in God. At the annual international Bible Quiz competition, he declared the importance of the Bible in the country’s history and future, reports Israel News.
“All of the promises are found in the Bible and we are fulfilling them big time, the ingathering from exile, the flowering of the wilderness, Israel’s international standing among the nations,” Netanhayu said.
Further, he shared that, “The Bible is close to my heart, and I truly and honestly believe that it is vital to our future. The interesting thing is that it’s (the Bible) always relevant, always relevant, it’s really relevant to our present and our future.”
