Integrational policies for the ethnically heterogeneous school

The Israeli population is divided into two distinct ethnic entities: the Westerners, whose families originated in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Anglo-Saxon countries, a n d t h e Orientals, whose family traditions go back to Asia and North Africa. The Westerners are traditionally of middle and upper-middle socioeconomic status whereas the Orientals are of lower and lower-middle socioeconomic status. It is a policy of the Israeli Ministry of Education and Culture to encourage ethnic integration in the school system in an attempt to bridge the culture and achievement gaps evident between the two population groups. This paper sets out those pastoral counselling and care activities which appear to be conducive to promoting integrational educational policies in ethnically heterogeneous schools.