In Israel, the key to success lies in the Bagrut matriculation diploma, which acts as an admission ticket to higher education and opens doors and options. Kol Israel Haverim's program "Gateway to graduation" is a unique program aiming to raise the Bagrut eligibility rate and open doors for children. The program aids schools to become a platform for students for a better future using an unusual work model: In order to promote the student, the work is done together with the school leadership, under the assumption that strengthening the system with better pedagogical and organizational tools will lead to a deep and long-lasting change.
In the month before the Bagrut exams, each school partaking in the "Gateway to Graduation" program holds a special evening for the "golden children" and their parents. The golden children are students who are only missing a few exams in order to qualify for a full matriculation. Parents and children are invited to this evening, which is aimed at raising motivation levels before the Bagrut exams. In "Gateway to Graduation" we believe that in order to reach this goal, a child needs internal motivation for success, an educational support system, goal-focused teachers with the right professional training and a pedagogical management staff with tools for scholastic tracking and follow-up.
The evening starts with everyone gathering to hear words of encouragement from the principal, coordinators, guides and councilors. Following this, the crowed disperses to small groups, where each parent and child have a five minute power talk with the class teacher, who focuses on the child's strong points, and two or three points that if his or her "act is cleaned up" they will most likely pass the exams and qualify. The group talk followed by the private meetings, strengthen the motivation among the students to make a real effort towards the exam season.
In this golden evening personal, heart-warming stories are also heard: A mother of one of the participants told us that she believes in her daughter very much, and an evening like this gives her the hope that her chances are high, as there are others who believe in her as well. Following her, a father explained that he was surprised to hear from the school, and didn't understand why he was being called in. He spoke of himself as a teenager – "when I was a kid, there was no such a thing. No one from school called my parents for something good, only when there were problems. It gives me hope when they call me up because my son is successful".
In charge of this evening are the dedicated pedagogical coordinators of the program. Well done on this blessed and vital work and lots luck to everyone sitting their exams!
