Israel – A new psychometry preparation course was launched exclusively for ultra-Orthodox girls last week, under rabbinic supervision.
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The Hakima psychometric prep institute censored its regular psychometric course books to suit religious sensitivities. The course is open only to women.
Hakima also secured special permission from the National Institute for Teaching and Evaluation to allow girls to take the test separately from boys, due to considerations of modesty.
In suiting the books to a Haredi audience, the institute rephrased or dropped questions with sexual connotations.
For example, the question “Derive a conclusion from the following statement: All boys are gay, some gays have left the closet,” would be replaced by something like: “Only he who believes in the salvation of his people can sleep peacefully, only he who sleeps peacefully lives pleasantly. Which of the following statements contradict the above?”
“You need to understand the sensitivities, the advantages and disadvantages,” said Emuna Malchiel, one of the course instructors.
“These girls have advantages in reading and Hebrew vocabulary, especially biblical words, but they’re less proficient in foreign words and foreign languages. Their math skills are pretty much in keeping with the national average, their English is less advanced.”
Most of the students are high school graduates looking to increase their education opportunities, even though these opportunities haven’t been made available yet. Ultra-Orthodox educational establishments don’t ask for psychometric grades, while ordinary academic institutions are out of the question due to modesty issues.
“Up until a few years ago psychometric exams were taboo, rabbis said you shouldn’t waste time on them, and then there was this breakthrough,” said Hakima director Shay Cohen. He said he had approached the Education, Culture and Sports Committee of the Knesset, asking that a degree program catering to ultra-Orthodox be launched at one of the universities.
“The idea is to open an ultra-Orthodox university, or at least a section of an existing university that suits ultra-Orthodox needs. The Israeli market will benefit from this even more than the ultra-Orthodox community itself,” Cohen said.
MK Zevulun Orlev (National Union-National Religious Party), who chairs the committee, promised to raise the issue at one of the next sessions, Cohen said.
But not everyone is impressed by the changes.
“It’s been 12 years since the so-called revolution began in the ultra-Orthodox society, and still there are no significant changes among men,” said Dr. Yaakov Lupo, who researches ultra-Orthodox society.
“There’s no way they can integrate unless their higher education curriculum changes. If between the ages of 13-23 you have no contact with math, English, spoken Hebrew and technology, there’s no chance you can catch up.”
There is already a Hareidi University program in Kiryat Ono
There is already Yeshiva University
Even if there is Haredi program, how Haredi is the environment and the subjects taught?
The educational professionals can continue to regard hareidim as “dsyfunctional” and not somthing they can deal with or to recognize that there will always be hareidim and the challenge is to try to accomodate their needs and beliefs, given that we are unlikley to be sucessful in pulling them into the real world with modern orthodox institutions as the ultimate model and objective.
In the US, such tests would be banned as discriminatory. The Israelis should consider using tests that are based on knowledge or intelligence, not political correctness. Culturally oriented tests were used 100 years ago (in part to try to keep new immigrants and their children out of college), but have long since been rejected in favor of tests that are designed to be culturually neutral (and by the way, frum Jews who decide on going to college, aren’t held back by the SAT).
I hate to break it to you, but all the Regents are scaled psychometrically.
If so-called ‘chareidim ‘ would realize that secular knowledge and education is important for support of Torah,perhaps the narrow-minded rabbonim and yeshivos would teach all necessary subjects to young boys and men so they can fully function in the real world. They can be real y’rei Shomayim and oskim b’Torah WITH secular knowledge taught the right way