A new Education Ministry program aims to ensure members of Israel's Druze community master the Hebrew language.
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Seventeen classes providing intensive Hebrew-language instruction have already opened in elementary schools in the sector, with 47 set to open in the remaining schools in the coming academic year.
The program, an initiative of Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton, aims to improve opportunities for Druze Israelis in academia and the workplace by teaching Hebrew-language skills to Druze students from kindergarten to their senior year.
As part of the program, eighth- and ninth-grade debate club members, who normally debate in English, will switch to Hebrew-language debates and receive instruction in Hebrew from native Hebrew speakers beginning next year.
In yet another initiative, eighth- and ninth-graders will attend a one-week summer camp with Jewish Israelis to increase their motivation to master the Hebrew language.
Science, which to date has been taught in Arabic in Druze schools, will also be taught in Hebrew in elementary and middle schools this year. Students from fourth to sixth grade will learn scientific words in Hebrew to prepare for this change.
"Language is a formative element in a person's image. It is [the element that] determines their ability to integrate into society. Hebrew mastery is the key to the success of graduates of the education system, and we will exhaust every tool so that students in the Druze sector also acquire it in an optimal way. The plan will ensure they have the ability to take advantage of opportunities in the academic world and the job market," Shasha-Biton said.
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