ALLMEP Member Merchavim announces a new initiative with the Ministry of Education – the Orientation Program for Arab Teachers who want to teach in Hebrew-speaking schools. 

For the past two years, Merchavim has been conducting multicultural integration courses in teacher training institutions with the belief in the importance of giving Arab teachers tools to integrate into the Hebrew-speaking education system. 

Following the success of these courses and in light of the tremendous need for teachers in the Hebrew schools, the Ministry of Education decided to embark on a large-scale move, creating a concentrated program over the summer delivered by seven teacher training colleges. This program includes the study of the Hebrew language, Israeli heritage and culture, and Israeli society and its challenges, which will all contribute to training Arab teachers to integrate into Hebrew-speaking schools.

Merchavim is a leading partner in accompanying this initiative with the Ministry of Education in the integration of Arab teachers. Together with the Ministry, they drafted the tender for teacher training colleges, as well as the tender for students to join the program. 

In addition, Merchavim staff oversaw five screening centers in which approximately 350 candidates participated, and during the month of August, their staff will deliver the multicultural integration course to the 190 program participants. Along with the training of the teachers, they will provide support in matching them with schools and accompanying the teachers throughout the school year. As the Orientation Program begins its pilot phase, they hope to learn from it in the coming years.

Merchavim is proud to partner with the Ministry of Education on this project, which they see as a great step forward by the Ministry of Education in recognizing the potential of Arab-Israeli teachers to succeed in Hebrew-speaking schools.

For more information on Merchavim, please visit: https://www.merchavim.org.il/en/