The Israeli education system has joined the majority countries in introducing the theory of evolution to middle school pupils beginning in the next academic year, it was announced on Sunday. The professional committee for academics of the Education Ministry made the decision to introduce the theory of evolution to seventh through ninth grade pupils across the education system – in secular state-schools, state-religious schools and Arab schools.

date, the education ministry has not officially incorporated Darwin’s theory in its middle school sciences curriculum; only high school students pursuing a matriculation certificate in biology, a small fraction of the student population, were exposed to the subject. The new decision would introduce the theory of evolution to pupils as part of the general science and technology curriculum, not as an “anchor subject” but rather through the study of ecology.