Many of the 160 students at the AMIT State Technical High School have not met the academic requirements of traditional schools; they are among the capital’s poorest and most vulnerable children. They often arrive at the school with previously undiagnosed learning disabilities or behavioral problems, and many are known to the welfare authorities. The school offers them a second chance for success, with a range of vocational topics including auto mechanics, electronics, graphic design and hair styling. The school boasts a very low dropout rate and over half of the students achieve a technological diploma or a bagrut certificate upon graduating.
“We aim to provide each student with a profession and the skills necessary to turn their lives around,” says assistant principal Bat Sheva Segavi. “Our students have no other options left. Succeeding here is vital for them to live good, productive lives.” The school provides each student with regular meetings with a social worker and psychologist. Personal development is a focus of the educational program, with an emphasis on fostering mutual trust between the students and teachers. Mutual responsibility is also stressed, and the 96% of the male graduates serve in the IDF (55% in combat units), and 93% of the females serve in either the IDF or national service.
The school’s flagship is the “Autotech Tools for Success” program, a state-of the-art program that places its students at the forefront of advanced automotive diagnostic and technological studies. The program offers a three-year course in theoretical studies along with practical, hands-on learning in the growing and in-demand vocation of servicing the high-tech cars of today and tomorrow.
The AMIT State Technical High School recently formed a partnership with the IDF. Students entering 10th grade can join a unique cadet program with a focus on auto-tech studies. The cadets come to school in uniform and are supervised by army personnel. After graduating, they will serve in the IDF’s prestigious Technological and Logistics Corps, where they will be responsible for the development of the most advanced weaponry.
