Current sectionIsrael NewsA recent article by The Economist ranked Israel last among 15 OECD countries for proficiency in mathematics, and second-to-last for reading comprehensionShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeLior DattelJuly 04, 2026Are students at Israeli universities and colleges the least skilled in the developed world? An article published this week in the British weekly The Economist ranked them first in what it dubbed the "ignorance index" for proficiency in mathematics, and second for reading comprehension in their native language. Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Israel educationUltra-OrthodoxArab IsraelisOECDCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesNetanyahu-TrumpWest BankAli KhameneiHussam Abu Safiya World CupBrad LanderHaQuizHaaretz PodcastNetanyahu Government Tells High Court It Will Defy Ruling on Media RegulatorAfter 1,000 Days of War, Israel's North Is Running Out of ResilienceNetanyahu Minister Confirms Israel Sent Iron Dome System to UAE During Iran WarA Fourth of July Reminder: American Jews Aren't Subjects of IsraelEducation Minister Refuses to Address anti-Arab and LGBT Students DiscriminationRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIAdvanced Israeli Systems Sold to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Documents and Images ShowIsrael 2026 Election Poll Tracker: The Latest ProjectionsIsrael Has Long Ignored Warnings of a 'Diplomatic Tsunami.' Now It Has Arrived103 Nails on the Map: How Israel's Government Is Burying the Two-state SolutionAn Israeli Principal Desegregated a Tel Aviv School. Here's What HappenedDumber Than a 10-year-old: Are Israeli Students Really That Stupid?