Orot (Lights) in Civics

By Dr. Yossi Londin,
Chair of the Program for Extending Training in Civics and Lecturer in Department of History, Rechovot Campus

It seems that no field of study in Israeli schools stirs more controversy in public opinion than the discipline of civics. Playing its part, Orot College Israel also participates in the battle over the shape of this discipline. Over the last winter, the matter was again at the center of controversy, while it is clear to everyone that the current round of debates is simply part of an ongoing, multi-year conflict surrounding the curriculum for the field of civics.

What is it about this discipline that attracts so much more friction than all the others? The answer would seem to be self-evident. Studying the discipline of civics is meant to train Israeli students to understand the governing of the State of Israel and Israeli society, as well as to give them the knowledge, skills, and values which will turn them into better citizens. It goes without saying that the debate over defining the “knowledge, skills, and values” in this context is incomparably explosive. If we add to this the fact that the current curriculum is identical in the government schools serving all sectors (general, religious, and Arab), we come to the perfect recipe for an ideological and political battlefield.

The truth is that, until recently, the discipline was less a battlefield and more an area prone to full usurping by the academic establishment of the political left. These ideologues simply developed a curriculum according to their world view. In this way, generations were raised with an understanding of democracy as rooted in a discussion of rights without responsibilities, an understanding of the Jewish-Arab conflict as one of two competing and equal (or worse) narratives, and a minimizing of the character of the State of Israel as a Jewish State.

A change began to come about in recent years. Teachers, academics, and politicians from the nationalist and the religious camp began to reclaim the dignity of the discipline. They sought to change the discipline to one which represents the consensus among most of Israel’s citizens, a majority which firmly believes in democracy and the rights of the minority, while demanding that the students are taught about a Jewish State and about man’s responsibilities as well as his rights; that the Jewish-Arab conflict is taught from the perspective of Zionism; that judgmental activism is tempered; and that they are taught other subtopics which are not currently part of the curriculum.

The conflict concerning the teaching of civics has found expression in debates over textbooks, appointments to key positions in the educational establishment, and the design of curricula. However, ultimately, the most important point surrounds the issue of who are the teachers of this discipline.
Over the last five years, Orot Israel College has been operating a program for extending teaching licenses to include the instruction of civics. Teachers and yeshiva educators of various disciplines enrolled in the program located on the Rechovot campus are studying the field and gaining accreditation in civics, in addition to their original accreditations. Within the framework of the program, students are learning the fundamentals and didactics of political science. In addition, they are gaining specialized enrichment in this area, particularly as it interacts with the Torah tradition and the related issues disputed in the public sphere. All of this is conducted from a nationalistic and religious perspective, and according to the highest professional standards.

The students are constantly updated concerning the various developments in the discipline, and they prepare the relevant learning materials. Tens of them are already working in the school system, some in advanced positions, and they are helping to influence the students of Israel, to better prepare them to be better citizens. Some of the graduates also serve as yeshiva educators, passing on the values related to our mission as a “mamlechet kohanim vegoy kadosh, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”, with an impact far beyond the simple principles of civics. All of the various teachers offer their special contribution to the struggle over the shaping of the discipline. The continued development of the program, with respect to both its quality and its quantity, will allow for the continued revolution of teaching civics, a revolution in which the College is proud to take part.