The number of students in Year 12 qualifying for a bagrut-matriculation certificate increased by 2.6 percent during the previous academic year (5781-2020-2021), according to newly released data. This translates to 76 percent of students, up from 73.4 percent the year the previous year.
Within the Druze sector, the percentage of students passing matriculation tests is at its highest ever, at 91.3 percent. In contrast, the qualifying percentage among the Bedouin sector in the Negev was just 60.4 percent. Among haredi schools within the Education Ministry's framework, the percentage of students qualifying for matriculation was 26.2 percent.
On average among all sectors, more girls qualified for bagrut than boys - 76.6 percent as opposed to 75.3 percent. However, the gap between the genders narrowed by 2.1 percent.
Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton welcomed the release of the data and stressed the importance of focusing not only on academic achievement but also on skills for life.
"The publication of these data enable us to assess the level of achievement of our students and identify areas where additional focus is necessary in order to close gaps," she said.
"Our schools are places of education and enrichment, and therefore, in addition to enhancing academic achievements, our students deserve a safe space in which to learn, and schools must be places where values are imbued and where students gain skills for life. The reforms and programs that will be implemented during the coming academic year will help us to accomplish these goals over future years."