Courtesy of the Jerusalem Foundation/H. Mazor

Education in Israel begins at a very young age in order to provide children with an augmented head start, particularly in terms of socialization and language development.

Many two-year-olds and almost all threeand four-year-olds attend some kind of preschool framework. Most programs are sponsored by local authorities, some within day-care centers operated by women's organizations; others are privately owned. The Ministry of Education allocates special resources for preschool education in disadvantaged areas.

Kindergarten for five-year-olds is free and compulsory. The curriculum aims to teach fundamental skills, including language and numerical concepts, to foster cognitive and creative capacities, and to promote social abilities. The curricula of all preschools are guided and supervised by the Ministry of Education to ensure a solid and well-rounded foundation for future learning.