Israeli teachers lag behind teachers in 18 countries in basic skills, OECD data show

A Shoresh Institution analysis of PIAAC data shows Israeli educators lagging behind their counterparts in 18 developed countries in basic skills. The lowest scores were recorded among teachers from the Arab and ultra-Orthodox sectors.

Israeli teachers have lower literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills than their counterparts in 18 developed countries. Economist Yael Meltzer of the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research presented these findings in an analysis published on August 26, 2026. The study is based on the OECD’s 2022–2023 PIAAC international adult survey.

This performance gap extends across all three assessed skill areas and persists even among degree holders. While highly educated teachers in other countries match the basic skill levels of similarly educated professionals in other fields, Israeli educators trail significantly behind their counterparts in the broader economy.

Only 37% of Israeli teachers hold a master’s degree, compared with 49% internationally. The proportion of bachelor’s degree holders is higher in Israel, at 41%, versus 35% abroad. Additionally, 64% of Israeli teachers with academic degrees earned their degrees specifically in education, compared with 54% internationally.

Israeli STEM teachers recorded the lowest scores among teachers with academic degrees. Within Israel, the largest skill gaps were found among teachers in the Arab and ultra-Orthodox school systems.

Meltzer notes that PIAAC measures general information-processing abilities, not direct classroom teaching quality. Meltzer attributes the low scores in part to the private sector attracting highly qualified professionals away from education by offering higher salaries. Notably, Israeli adults as a whole also scored below the OECD average in the latest survey.

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