Education Ministry: Return of Meitzav exam every three years

The quadrennial elementary school assessment Meitzav is used to assess and compare the performances of schools across the country.

Beginning the next academic year pupils will take the quadrennial elementary school assessment Meitzav exam every three years, the Education Ministry announced on Monday.The exam, used to assess and compare the performances of schools across the country, has to date tested language, math and science skills. According to the new plan, fifth graders will be tested in three disciplines – mother tongue language, either Hebrew or Arabic, mathematics and English. Eighth graders will be tested in four disciplines – mother tongue language, mathematics, English and science.

The Meitzav exam for second grade will be held internally. “The new Meitzav exam constitutes another layer of the ‘National plan for significant learning,’” said Education Minister Shai Piron on Monday. The decision was made following a yearlong break from the exam due to complaints from teachers and educators that schools felt they were being measured primarily through exams and trials which affected teaching and learning methods.