Online School & Homeschool in Israel

Live online Cambridge IGCSE, A-Level, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma, and American AP for olim, high-tech, academic and Israeli families across Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Be'er Sheva and the Sharon. Israel sits closer to our teaching clock than any country we serve — one hour behind in winter, exactly level in summer — so our entire teaching day is available to you.

From USD 423/month. Small live classes 4-6 students, Cambridge / IB / American AP through to A-Level — alongside your Israeli school, at whatever hour suits.

Where our Israel families are

Smartious Israel families concentrate across Tel Aviv (the commercial and technology capital with few international schools for its profile), Jerusalem (national institutions, the Hebrew University and a large English- and French-speaking olim community), Haifa and the north (the Technion, the port and a strongly academic multilingual region), Be'er Sheva and the Negev (Ben-Gurion University and a growing technology and cyber sector in a district with essentially no international schooling), and Ra'anana and the Sharon (the olim heartland, where keeping a route back matters as much as settling in). One permit-based framework explained properly, and the closest timezone in our entire coverage.

Homeschool laws and regulation in Israel

Israel operates a permission tier: home education is lawful but requires an annual permit, and the formal posture is stricter than the practice. Both halves matter, and so does what a provider like us cannot do.

The governing statute 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, ours included.

Streams, and the 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. Parents have the right to choose the stream their children attend — and, this often surprises newcomers, not the specific school: the local school board refers children in accordance with social integration policy. For olim families arriving with expectations formed elsewhere, that is one of the more consequential things to know early, and it is a common reason families begin looking at supplementary international teaching.

Home education: a permit, renewed every year

Israel permits home education by permit from the Ministry of Education, and the framework has three features families should plan around. 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 is more accommodating

Despite that formal 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 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. Families have also reported being summoned to Ministry tribunals over concerns ranging from socialisation to other matters, with the possibility of permission being revoked — we mention that not to alarm anyone but because a permit is reviewed annually rather than granted once, and a family should plan on that basis.

What we can and cannot do

This needs saying 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 international qualifications, either alongside an Israeli school enrolment or as the academic programme for a family that already holds a permit.

The clock, which is the best in our coverage

One practical advantage worth stating clearly because it is unique. Israel runs Israel Standard Time at UTC+2, moving to Israel Daylight Time at UTC+3 for the summer. Our teaching base runs UTC+3 year-round. That puts Israel one hour behind us in winter and exactly level in summer — closer than any of the other eighty-eight countries we serve. Every hour of our teaching day is available to an Israeli family: an after-school class at four in the afternoon, a mid-morning session for a student on a permitted home-education programme, or an evening slot all work equally. In most of our markets the timetable is a constraint to be worked around. Here it simply is not one.

Why Israel families choose Smartious

The closest clock of any country we serve

One hour behind in winter, exactly level in summer. Our entire teaching day is available — after-school, mid-morning or evening.

A route back for olim families

UCAS reads Cambridge A-Levels natively, and American, French, Canadian and South African universities read A-Levels and the IB directly.

The permit framework explained, including what we cannot do

Annual permits, system standards, a stringent formal posture and an accommodating practice — and no ability on our part to obtain or influence one.

The north and the Negev reached

Haifa, the Galilee and the southern district have minimal or no international schooling. Live delivery reaches all of them identically.

French and home languages examined

Cambridge French for the substantial francophone community, alongside English Language and Literature — formal qualifications rather than household languages.

Computing depth for a technology economy

Cambridge A-Level Computer Science, Mathematics and Further Mathematics for Tel Aviv's start-up sector and Be'er Sheva's cyber hub.

Fees and admission

From USD 423/month for Primary, payable termly; varies by curriculum and level. One-to-one tuition: USD 15/hour.

Frequently asked questions

Is homeschooling legal in Israel?

Yes, by permit. The Ministry of Education grants home-education permits for one school year at a time, renewable annually, and a child for whom home education is approved must meet the standards set by the educational system. The Director General's directive holds that students of compulsory education age belong within the institutional educational framework — but in practice the Ministry approves the great majority of requests, and policy since 2009 has allowed home education where the family fulfils state requirements, which the Supreme Court noted applies to most applicants.

Can Smartious help us get a permit?

No, and no provider can. The permit is entirely between your family and the Ministry of Education. We teach the subjects — live, in small groups — whether you hold a permit or your child is enrolled at an Israeli school.

Do you teach the Bagrut?

No. We are not a Ministry of Education recognised institution and issue no Israeli qualification. We teach Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, IB and AP examinations, which sit alongside the Israeli record rather than replacing it.

How close is the timezone really?

Closer than any country we serve. Israel runs UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer; we teach from UTC+3 year-round. So you are one hour behind us in winter and exactly level in summer, and every hour of our teaching day is available to you.

We made aliyah mid-schooling — what happens to our child's record?

They keep an internationally examined pathway rather than restarting. Cambridge A-Levels are read natively by UCAS and directly by American, French, Canadian and South African universities, so the route back to where you came from stays open alongside the Israeli one.

Can we choose our child's school in Israel?

Parents may choose the educational stream but not the specific school — the local school board refers children in accordance with social integration policy. It surprises many newcomers and is a common reason families look at supplementary international teaching.

Where do Israeli students sit Cambridge examinations?

At authorised provision confirmed per family per session — the Tel Aviv area and Jerusalem are checked first, with travel planned ahead from Haifa, the Galilee and the Negev. Israel is compact enough that this is a handful of day trips a year.

Which parts of Israel does Smartious cover?

Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and the north, Be'er Sheva and the Negev, and Ra'anana and the Sharon have dedicated pages. Live online delivery works identically anywhere in the country.

Guides for families in this country

What parents say

Rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 130+ reviews. Read our Google reviews

“Smartious Homeschooling delivers genuinely effective one-on-one instruction. The teachers are patient, consistent, and skilled at identifying and addressing each learner's specific academic gaps. Since enrolling, our child has become more confident, enjoys lessons, and is now performing above grade level. For families in Nairobi seeking a dependable, academically rigorous homeschooling programme with personalised support, Smartious is a standout choice.” — Allan H., Google review