REASONS FOR FAILURE OR SUCCESS OF EDUCATIONAL REFORMS IMPLEMENTED IN ISRAEL

Abstract

In recent years, many a factor has contributed to raising the issue of changes and reforms in education. The declared goal of reforms in the educational system is to raise the achievement level of an ever-increasing number of students, and to enable them to integrate better in the society. Just as reforms often being a necessity for survival of organizations, and a way in which systems can remain in the center of public interest, they as well constitute an incentive for constant innovation and express a desire to change the face of education (Adler, 2000). The educational system is dynamic and that changes take place from time to time in schools. Whether these changes are minor or profound, reforms do take place over time (Ranson, 2008). Reform acts as a process for change in a democratic society. It involves changes to routines, undermining of what is already in place, identification of needs, opportunity for public discussion of values, examination of alternatives, building of agreements on priorities, involvement of stakeholders, need to cope with opposition, development of action strategies and more. On the other hand, there certainly are opposing forces: open and covert resistance on the part of various stakeholders, political struggles for power and influence, weakness of a reform from the point of view of those who have most need of it, clashing interest groups, socio-political mechanisms and structures, failures in execution, etc. (Oplatka, 2010). However, reforms in education take place too frequently (Oplatka, 2010). This survey gives a historical review of these reforms, it defines the central reasons for failure of reforms (organizational structure, setting of short-term targets, long-term policy, and involvement of stakeholders) and proposes more effective ways to implement reforms in the educational system in the future. Attention to stakeholders, determining qualitative and quantitative measures and long-term policy supporting the reform are keystones of success.

Keywords

• change, stakeholders, structure, goals, reforms, education, obstacles to reforms, success of reforms.