When the GERM Hosts the Antidote: The Surprising New Birth of Israel's Anti-GERM Pre-K Policy

• Main Authors: Gadi Bialik, Noa Shefi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mercy College 2017-09-01
• Series: Global Education Review
• Subjects: Global education reform movement; GERM; Pre-K; hybridity; educational policy; policy formation
• Online Access: http://ger.mercy.edu/index.php/ger/article/view/334/266

Since the 1970s, Israel's educational policy has been undergoing a change generated by the neo-liberal agenda. In this light, it is not surprising that since the 1990s, Israel’s education system has adopted the main characteristics of the Global Education Reform Movement (GERM). In light of this, the current research will focus on a newly born pre-K policy formation process that set out as GERM-like in nature, but nevertheless ended up with anti-GERM characteristics. Using historical-narrative qualitative tools, this paper will portray and analyze the main factors that generated the new anti-GERMian reform. We will outline conclusions from the Israeli case study to create a potential conceptual framework that highlights a more complex, hybrid, or dual outlook at the GERM containing its antidote within itself.