Accountability in Arab Bedouin Schools in Israel

Abstract

‘School-based management’ (SBM) rose to become a prominent trend in educational reform in Western countries during the last few decades of the 20th century and has likewise been introduced into a number of Asian and African nations. A key component of SBM is the increase of internal accountability within the school with the aim of improving academic outcomes. This research initially questions whether the social/cultural context of traditional Bedouin society in Israel influences the implementation of SBM in the community’s schools, and then discusses the ramifications of this influence. The research findings point to a lack of educational accountability in Bedouin schools in Israel, while concomitantly identifying two omnipresent forms of traditional cultural accountability within this sector—tribal and religious. Moreover, the research contends that these forms of accountability conflict with individual educational accountability among Bedouin school principals and teachers, and thus contribute to poor academic outcomes. Being a member of this community—with intimate knowledge of and sensitivity to its culture—the researcher concludes with specific suggestions for enhancing accountability implementation that will lead to improvement in the academic level of Israeli Bedouin schools.