50-Years-Magazine-digital

22 50 Years of Opportunity at the OUI Students from Israel's Periphery Acting as a crucial social safety valve, the Open University of Israel (OUI) provides educational opportunities to thousands of students from Israel’s struggling periphery. These students often face financial, geographical, or cultural challenges that prevent them from attending conventional universities, which require physical presence on campus. Many cities in the periphery offer fewer work opportunities, leading students from lower socio-economic backgrounds to prioritize work over full- time studies even though the jobs available generally come with lower salaries. This situation compels them to invest significant time in sustaining themselves and their families rather than pursuing a traditional 3-4 year degree. The unique distance learning model of the OUI, combined with frontal classes across campuses from the far North to the far South of Israel, offers a solution for students in the periphery. With 50% of its campuses located in these areas, the OUI makes higher education accessible to students in small development towns and remote regions where quality education is limited. Each year, 35% of new students come from Israel’s periphery, highlighting the importance of local accessibility and advanced technology in enabling these students to pursue higher education. Every student studying in the periphery is assigned to a tutorial group at a nearby campus, ensuring they receive personalized support. The OUI provides various measures, such as extra tutorials, adapted syllabi, and personal guidance to help students overcome challenges in subjects like Mathematics and English, enabling them to succeed in advanced courses and complete their degrees. Additionally, a special program in collaboration with the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel strengthens education in the periphery by enhancing the professional level of employees in local authorities. This initiative provides vital support, particularly benefiting women and veteran workers who lack a secondary education but see the OUI as a unique opportunity for academic advancement. The program’s support system helps these individuals pursue degrees and advance in their careers, contributing to the broader goal of improving educational and professional opportunities in Israel’s periphery.