Israel belongs to the permission tier — the same family as Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Austria in our European coverage — where home education is lawful but requires official approval. What makes Israel distinctive is the gap between the formal posture and the actual practice: the Director General’s directive reads restrictively, and the Ministry approves the great majority of applications. A family planning around this needs both halves, and needs to understand that a permit is renewed rather than granted once.
The governing law and what is compulsory
The Compulsory Education Law of 1949, with its amendments, governs Israeli education, administered by the Ministry of Education. Education is compulsory for children from age three to fifteen inclusive, or until the completion of ten years of schooling, beginning at the latest at age five, with free education continuing beyond that point. Because the law has been amended over the decades, a family should confirm the boundaries applying to their own child with the Ministry rather than take them from any article — including this one.
The streams, and a choice parents do not have
The law recognises State education and State religious education, alongside institutions that are recognised but not official and supervised by the Ministry, and independent institutions that are recognised but not supervised. Here is the part that surprises newcomers most: parents have the right to choose the stream their children attend, but not the specific school. The local school board refers children in accordance with social integration policy. For olim families arriving with expectations formed in Britain, the United States or France, that is one of the more consequential facts to learn early, and in our experience it is a common reason families start looking at supplementary international teaching in the first place.
The permit: three features to plan around
Home education is permitted by permit from the Ministry of Education, and the framework has three features that shape planning. The permit is granted for one school year only and must be renewed annually. A child for whom home education is approved must meet the standards set by the educational system. And the formal position is stringent: the Director General’s directive states that the position of the Israeli education system is that the place of students of compulsory education age is within the institutional educational framework, and that educational authorities ought to do everything possible to allocate a suitable learning environment for each student.
And the practice, which reads differently
Despite that posture, the Ministry in fact approves the great majority of requests — in the 2006/2007 year it approved 155 applications and denied 8, which we cite as a reported historical figure rather than as current data. Ministry policy since 2009 has allowed home education on condition the family fulfils state requirements, a position the Supreme Court noted in a decision applies to most families who request permission. The Ministry has published internal guidelines in Hebrew for processing applications. The number of children actually educated at home is reported to be higher than the official figure.
The scrutiny, reported neutrally
Families have reported being summoned to Ministry tribunals over concerns ranging from socialisation to other matters, with the possibility of permission being revoked. We include that not to alarm anyone and without taking a position on any particular case — it is reporting rather than something we can verify ourselves. What it tells a family planning a multi-year education is practical rather than political: a permit is reviewed annually, so build the plan on the assumption of renewal conversations rather than on a single grant, and keep the kind of records that make those conversations straightforward.
What we can and cannot do, said plainly
Smartious cannot obtain a Ministry permit, cannot influence one, and cannot substitute for one. That relationship is entirely between a family and the Ministry of Education, and any provider suggesting otherwise should be treated with caution. We are not a Ministry-recognised institution, we issue no Israeli qualification, and we do not teach toward the Bagrut. What we do is teach subjects — live small-group Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, IB and AP classes toward externally examined qualifications — either alongside an Israeli school enrolment or as the academic programme for a family that already holds a permit. Those externally examined results are, incidentally, exactly the kind of evidence that makes an annual review straightforward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is homeschooling legal in Israel?+
Yes, by annual permit from the Ministry of Education. A permit runs for one school year and must be renewed; an approved child must meet the standards set by the educational system; and the Director General’s directive holds that students of compulsory education age belong within the institutional educational framework. In practice the Ministry approves the great majority of requests, and policy since 2009 has allowed home education where the family fulfils state requirements.
Can a provider help us obtain a permit?+
No. The permit is between your family and the Ministry, and no provider can obtain or influence one. We teach the subjects.
How often is it reviewed?+
Annually — the permit is granted for one school year only. Families have also reported tribunals reviewing permissions, so plan on renewal conversations rather than a single grant, and keep good records.
Do you teach the Bagrut?+
No. We are not a Ministry-recognised institution and issue no Israeli qualification. We teach Cambridge, Edexcel, IB and AP examinations, which sit alongside the Israeli record.
