Curricula policy in education: framing Israeli citizenship

This paper addresses the role of the education systems in divided societies, specifically the Israeli education system, and how it can foster the notion of citizenship either as a cohesive and inclusive concept or segregated and marginalised ones. Citizenship is a legal status conferred by a state, which has the power to transform people. It represents a sense of belonging and solidarity within a community. As many authors have emphasised, citizenship encompasses both exclusionary and inclusionary aspects. On the one hand, it is connected to ideas of individual entitlement, and on the other hand, it is linked to attachment to a particular community. In modern societies citizenship inherently embodies the essence of identities combined with the broader concept of collective identity. This is particularly true in societies that are divided (i.e., organised in segmented cleavages), such as the Israeli one. The education system plays a significant role in shaping society’s understanding of this concept. This is achieved through the teaching of specific subjects, such as civic education and the structure of the education system, for instance whether it has integrated or segregated schools. This research integrates the analysis of curricular policies developed in Israel after the Israeli 2018 National Law, that impacted the policy of citizenship referring and the relationship between citizenship and national identity.