What is the cost of education? And where does in rank in importance to everything else in life? My co-latin teacher and I were discussing Israeli education today, and the issues and benefits that come with it. I, thankfully, have a couple years before I need to start making decisions about education for my child, but it always sits at the top of my mind.

My husband and I both got very good educations. From the time I started grade school I knew that college was not an option... it was a fact. I went to private school for middle and high school, and got one of the best educations in the area. I am thankful everyday for the opportunities it provided. I have since gotten both my bachelors and my masters degree. Where I went to school this was the norm. My husband grew up in a very different area, but his parents decided to send him to an elite religious boarding school. He is the only one of his siblings to get a 4-year college degree (so far...).

We talk often about our options. Here in KG education is not paramount. Like many areas in the US, it is possible to get a good education here, but only if the parents (and the student of course) are very focused on finding the best options, and enforcing and encouraging education at home. This is something that seems natural to me, but it isnt to most families here. This area is much more blue collar, and most residents dont have a college degree. There is also the defining factor of the army... most people who do attend college only do so after the army... at the age of 22 or 23. This simple, but significant, factor encourages many to simply go straight to work after.

Luckily we have some time before making these decisions... but as teachers this is something that we talk about everyday. Every discussion makes me more and more thankful for my own upbringing and my parents insistence on a good education

Quiet week

Last week was a quiet week. I have been preparing for thanksgiving, and every time I look our guest list grows. Since we have only one over and one burner (yes, a single burner), its a lesson in logistics and time management to get everything done. I am very excited about it though.

Friday, a nephew of one of Yehis sisters ex-boyfriends (long story, just go with it) had his fourth birthday. We went to support him and it gave me the chance to see what a pre-schoolwas like here in KG. All in all it was a really interesting experience. On each child's birthday (or on the Friday after) they have a celebration where they sing songs, give fake flowers, spell mazal tov, count to the age of the child, and eat cake. Every child wrote a blessing for the birthday boy on a piece of paper, and the adults got to give theirs during the party. I spoke in English, and the gannenet (teacher) asked the kids what language I was speaking in. One kid said I was speaking in English, because thats how his grandfather speaks to him.

The pre-school seemed similar to ones in the states- they had a calendar and the days of the week, marking which day of the week we were on, they had decorations for the unit, which of course was channukah. They also had a bomb shelter built in the back.

I am still trying to figure out the education system here. For pre-school there are three types of schools- not-religious (like the one we were at), religious and haredi (really religious). The first two follow a similar lesson plan, but the dati (religious) one begins with prayers and incorporates them throughout the day. Since the hebrew calendar is a matter of state, as are the Jewish holidays, they are taught in all schools. I would compare the lessons at a non-religious school here to the education at a Jewish Community Center pre-school in the states. We have a while before we have to deal with it, but it poses an interesting issue. There is no separation of church and state here, which I love in so many ways, but it also raises interesting concerns. If our religious level is somewhere between religious and not religious, where do we send? At least I have a couple years to think about it.