The education completion program for adults in Bedouin communities in the Negev/Naqab is designed to serve women and men who never studied at all or dropped out of elementary or high school in the past, and who are interested in acquiring the knowledge that they were not afforded, in improving their status, and in integrating into the workforce. It enables the completion of basic skills in reading and writing in Hebrew and Arabic as well as basic education in other fields. Approximately 95% of the students are women and about 54% of them are age 30 or older. The program framework included approximately 25 classes, with about 500 students every year, which were located primarily in community centers in the recognized Bedouin communities, but also in the Bedouin regional councils – Neve Midbar and Al-Kasom.

The education completion program operated in Bedouin settlements in the Negev as part of the first Five-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan for the Bedouin Population in the Negev (2012-2016) and its funding was included in the plan’s budget. However, there was no allotment for the program in the budget of the following Five-Year Plan (2017-2021), which operated by virtue of Government Resolution No. 2397, nor was it budgeted separately by the Ministry of Education.

Recommendations of the position paper:

1. A multi-year budget required for the program must be found and even expanded. A multi-year program gives confidence to teachers and students together.
2. There should be more classes to complete a matriculation certificate. A high school diploma contributes significantly to successful integration into labor force.
3. The State must provide a support system for the women participating in the program as suggested by the evaluators of the program.
4. The State and relevant ministries must appoint a responsible authority that will determine measurable performance goals and monitor the implementation of the program in all its aspects.
5. The possibility of expanding the program to include the unrecognized villages should be examined, which can be based on the use of existing infrastructures for the purpose of conducting the various courses (essential service centers and schools).