The majority of ultra-Orthodox men in Israel lack basic English skills, according to a study conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute.
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The study consisted of 564 men and women over the age of 18, while the women included in the survey provided answers about their sons' educations and their husbands' level of proficiency in English.
According to the study, 26% of ultra-Orthodox men reported that they have no knowledge of English and an additional 28% rated their English as "poor."
Only 18% self-reported their English as "quite good" or "very good" and only 7% said English was their native tongue.
The study noted that in some ultra-Orthodox educational institutions for boys, English is absent from the curriculum, while in others it may be included but only for a few hours a week and on a low level.
Interestingly, 54% of male graduates of ultra-Orthodox education aged 45 or older studied English at school, with this figure dropping steadily with age. Only 18% of respondents 18-24 studied English in their educational institution.
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For parents whose sons are not currently being taught English, only 23% are interested in their sons learning English in school.
While Hebrew and Arabic are Israel's official languages, most Israelis possess at least a rudimentary knowledge of English. Passing an English oral and written test is a prerequisite for receiving a high school matriculation certificate in Israel.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
