Posted on 02/23/22
| News Source: i24
26 percent of ultra-Orthodox men report that they have no knowledge of English
The majority of ultra-Orthodox men in Israel lack basic English skills, according to a study done by the Israel Democracy Institute.
The study consisted of 564 men and women over the age of 18 - the women included to provide answers about their sons' educations, evaluating the level of English proficiency among participants.
According to the study, 26 percent of ultra-Orthodox men reported that they have no knowledge of English and an additional 28 percent rated their English as "poor."
Only 18 percent self-reported their English as "quite good" or "very good" and only seven percent said English was their native tongue.
The study notes that in some ultra-Orthodox educational institutions for boys, English is absent from the curriculum, while in others it may be included but only for a few hours a week and on a low level.
Interestingly, 54 percent of male graduates of ultra-Orthodox education aged 45 or older studied English at school, with this figure dropping steadily with age. Only 18 percent of respondents 18-24 studied English in their educational institution.
For parents whose sons are not currently being taught English, only 23 percent are interested in their sons learning English in school.
While Hebrew and Arabic are Israel's languages, most Israelis possess at least a rudimentary knowledge of English. Passing an English oral and written test is a prerequisite for receiving a high school matriculation certificate in Israel.