作者:Orna Raz
編譯:李育嘉
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以色列對於技職教育的漠視
1930後期，我的叔叔想加入吉布茨(註1)，但是奶奶堅持要他先念職校，因為這對他的將來有幫助。之後叔叔念了Max Fein 職校，也順利成為一名焊工。幾年過去，他驕傲地告訴我他在職校的所學，對在吉布茨工作非常有幫助。
這個故事發生在以色列獨立前10年，以色列人非常清楚國家需要像我叔叔一樣的職校畢業生。
幾世代的技職教育，學生們在不同領域的訓練，是為了畢業後馬上就業；而有些學生選擇學術教育，以我的搭擋為例，他是Ort high schools畢業，在大學念工程，但因為經費不足的問題，職校不再像過去一樣優質，變質成學科成績較弱的學生落腳處。
最近，職校議題在以色列總理本雅明·內塔尼亞胡(Benjamin Netanyahu)和部長西爾萬·沙洛姆(Silvan Shalom)之間爭論不休，情緒和偏見圍繞著此問題。
內塔尼亞胡希望提撥更多款項重建技職教育的品質，沙洛姆卻認為技職教育是歧視弱勢族群的元凶，尤其是對米茲拉希猶太人。沙洛姆認為技職教育就是次等教育，他甚至抨擊內塔尼亞胡「我還真想看你親自送兒子去讀技職教育。」沙洛姆希望以色列學生都可以從高中畢業，並通過入學考試進入大學就讀。
我鮮少同意內塔尼亞胡的話，當他說沙洛姆仍活在過去時，我覺得他這次是對的。教育對經濟、社會繁榮、社會流動都極有幫助。父母之所以願意投資小孩的教育，就是希望他們能有更好的將來。
不過，現在即使努力唸書考進好大學，也未必能夠找到穩定又有保障的工作，即使這些學生擁有學士、碩士甚至博士學歷。更糟的是，他們連支付房租都有問題。
在以色列律師、會計師已趨近飽和；藍領階級，如焊工、水電工，供不應求；結果這些技術人員反而薪資高出許多。
也許沙洛姆說的沒錯，沒有父母會將自己的孩子送入職校。但是我們不能一直活在過去的世界裡，一定要做些改變。如果我們願意投注更多資金在技職教育上，學校將會有所改善，之後我們的孩子、孫子接受的就不會再是畢業即失業的教育。
註1：kibbutz: 吉布茨的目標是混合共產主義和錫安主義的思想建立烏托邦社區，社區里的人沒有私有財產，工作沒有工資，衣食住行教育醫療都是免費的。外人可以自願加入吉布茨，裡面的成員也可以自願退出，退出的時候可以領到一筆退出費以回報對社區的貢獻。不過近幾十年有些社區進行了私有化，生活方式發生了改變。（資料來源：維基百科）
【作者介紹：Orna Raz】希伯來大學英國文學博士。關注女性、文學、社會議題。現居以色列。
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“You Send Your Son To Welding School:” The Debate Over Vocational Education
In the late 1930s my 16 year old uncle wanted to join a kibbutz, but my grandmother demanded that he first study a vocation which would help him succeed in his new life. My uncle applied to the Max Fein Vocational School and became a welder. Many years later he told me how proud he felt to be able to bring with him to the Kibbutz a useful gift of a vocation.
This event took place about ten years prior to Israel’s independence, and it was clear that people like my uncle, graduates of vocational schools, were exactly what our country needed.
For generations vocational schools educated children, trained them in different disciplines and enabled them to find a good job once they graduated. Some of them pursued academic studies, my partner for example, a product of one of Ort high schools, studied engineering at the university.
Yet with time vocational education fell from grace, was seriously underfunded, and as a result its schools became a refuge for weak students who could not keep up with the academic programs of regular high schools.
The recent debate between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Silvan Shalom over the role of vocational schools in Israel demonstrates the emotions and the prejudices surrounding this issue.
While Netanyahu proposed to allocate more money to the re-establishment of vocational education, Shalom sees those schools as a culprit in discriminating against weak populations, especially Mizrahi students. For Shalom vocational schools mean low level and low tech skills. He lashed out at Netanyahu with the words: “I’d like to see you send your son to welding school”
Instead Shalom would like each student in Israel to be able to graduate from high-school, to pass the matriculation exams and to go to university.
I rarely agree with Netanyahu, but in this case he was right when he said that Shalom was “living in yesterday’s world.” Until recent years education brought about economic prospects, social mobility and prosperity. Parents invested in their children’s education because they believed that it would be the key for a successful future and expected their children to have a comfortable life.
But this was then, today those kids who work so hard to pass their matriculation exams and are accepted to college would probably not have an easy life. Many young people in Israel today do not have a permanent or secured job with a B.A, M.A or even a PhD. Moreover, often they are unable to afford even to rent a small place of their own.
It seems that in Israel there are too many lawyers and accountants who cannot find a job. But we do not have enough welders, plumbers and other blue collar professionals, and those, in the words of Netanyahu, “welders and repair people make a lot of money.”
Perhaps Shalom is right and no one wants “to send his or her grandchild to such a school,” but something must change and we cannot continue to live in “yesterday’s world.” If we allocate more money to vocational education, their schools could improve, and be able to offer our children and grandchildren the kind of preparation which will enable them to have a better future.
【Author：Orna Raz】 Orna has a PhD in English literature from the Hebrew University. She wrote he doctorate about the British writer Barbara Pym and about educated women in Britain in the 1950s. She is interested in issues concerning women, literature and society
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圖片來源：Israel Defense Forces@flickr
原文經合作媒體：《The Times Of Israel》授權編譯，未經許可不得轉載
The Times Of Israel中文網站: 以色列時報
