Proposal for a Reform in Early Childhood Education: State to Pay More, Parents Less
The "In Good Hands" partnership has introduced a program aimed at revolutionizing early childhood education. The initiative proposes reducing the educator-to-toddler ratio to one for every three children and significantly easing the financial burden on parents, who currently cover about 70% of daycare costs.
The "In Good Hands - Headquarters for Investment in Early Childhood" partnership, led by the 121 organization, has submitted a proposal for a new national education program for children from birth to age three. The full implementation cost is estimated at an additional 8 billion shekels per year.
The program addresses the fact that about one-third of toddlers in Israel are in facilities not supervised by the state, and parents currently bear approximately 70% of daycare costs. Additionally, the initiative aims to reduce overcrowding in daycare centers, where some groups currently reach up to 30 children.
Current Situation and Challenges
There are approximately 550,000 children under the age of three in Israel. Data shows that only 40% are in state-supervised frameworks. The organization emphasizes that these are critical years for development, as the brain reaches 90% of its final volume, making quality education essential for reducing social gaps.
Key issues identified include:
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Low public investment: Israel invests less than one-tenth of the OECD average in early childhood education.
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High financial burden on families: Parents fund about 70% of daycare costs, compared to about 25% in developed countries.
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Manpower crisis and low standards: Educators are currently required to have only 220 hours of training, and half lack professional qualifications.
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Limited supervision: Only facilities with seven or more children require a license. The proposal suggests expanding state responsibility to facilities with three or more children.
Program Pillars
The new model is based on three principles: quality, subsidized, and accessible education. Key proposals include:
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Reduced group sizes: For ages 6 months to 1 year, a 1:3 ratio (max 9 children); for ages 1 to 2 years, a 1:6 ratio (max 12 children); for ages 2 to 3 years, a 1:7 ratio (max 14 children).
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Professional standards: Each group should have a lead educator with a bachelor's degree. Wages would be increased and linked to those of kindergarten teachers for ages 3–6.
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New payment model: The state will significantly increase its share of funding. The average monthly parent payment is expected to drop to 2,000 shekels, with total state budgeting per child reaching 4,000 shekels.
Economic Impact
Full implementation is estimated to cost 8 billion shekels annually, with an additional 3.7 billion shekels required to extend maternity leave to 26 weeks.
However, the program's authors argue that the investment will pay for itself. A cost-benefit analysis by 'Numerix' estimates that against a cost of 12.2 billion shekels, economic benefits could reach 26.4 billion shekels through increased labor market participation, higher future earnings for children, and reduced crime rates. The net economic benefit is estimated at 14.2 billion shekels.
Tali Nir, chair and founder of the 121 organization, stated: "The national program we are proposing is intended to ensure quality, subsidized, and accessible education for every child through improved standards, investment in educator training and wages, and expanded state responsibility for early childhood education."
