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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert this morning met with the members of the committee chaired by former Finance Minister Avraham Shohat, which examined the higher education system in Israel, and received their report. Education Minister Yuli Tamir also attended the meeting.
Prime Minister Olmert said that he views education as a supreme value and added that his Government had made decisions that changed national priorities while maintaining budgetary restraint. He emphasized that dealing with higher education is the last link in the Government's dealing with the education system, beginning with pre-school. The Prime Minister said the situation of higher education today needs improvement. He noted that the State of Israel has had more than a few outstanding academic achievements and asserted that this must be maintained. He said that implementing the Shohat committee's recommendations would prevent the loss of this precious resource, halt the deterioration and move the academic system forward.
Prime Minister Olmert said that he would honor any agreement signed with the students and added that he would continue to hold a serious dialogue with them. He noted that in talks with students, the latter had expressed their desire to improve the entire system over the coming years and not reach an agreement that would provide a one-time response to narrow interests. "I hope that we can present the report in this spirit and reach a dialogue with them," the Prime Minister said.
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