Israel is Using AI to Teach Middle Schoolers English
There is no doubt that AI has transformed almost all areas of life. From writing, to science, and the basic quest for knowledge, AI has become a vital resource. Now, Israel will be teaching middle schoolers English using AI
According to JTA, though there has been some reluctance to bring AI into the classroom, Israel has become one of the first countries in the world to champion the use of this new technology in education.
From a Source of Knowledge to Teaching Tool
For the most part, when people think of AI in the classroom, they think of all the ways students can use ChatGPT to get it to do their work for them. But AI can do so much more than simply generate homework answers, and now, Israeli schools are initiating programs and methods for using this new technology as a thoughtful and pedagogically sound educational tool.
The Times of Israel reported that the Ministry of Education has recently introduced a program using AI to teach English to students in middle schools.
The initiative, called Project 720, was pilot tested in 28 middle schools throughout the country during the 2025-2026 academic year, and will be expanded to 180 during the 2026-2027 academic year, while also broadening its scope to math and science. In addition, a separate program, called English for Everyone, which uses AI to teach the English language, will also be rolled out to all middle schools throughout the country.
“This is one of the most significant and ambitious revolutions ever carried out in the education system,” Minister of Education, Yoav Kisch said during a June 11,2026 visit to a school in the Maale Adumim, as reported by The Times of Israel. “It will enable every student to learn according to their own capabilities, pace of progress, and personal needs.”
The initiative comes in the wake of two pressing problems. The first is the grave lack of qualified English teachers. A 2024 State Comptroller’s report called out the shortage, and noted that only 40 percent of English teachers in the country had proper training.
In addition, or perhaps because of this, English competency scores are falling among students throughout Israel. In 2026, data showed that only 22 percent of Israeli 9th graders met the requirements of the English language curriculum in language exams administered in 2025.
The hope is that both Project 720 and English for Everyone can be a solution for these important issues.
Pedagogical AI
For the Amal Educational Network of schools this means integrating a program called Pedagogical AI (PAI) into their over 50 schools throughout the country, according to JTA. The program is founded on five principles: personalization, independent learning, collaborative learning, applied learning and values-based education. In the framework of PAI, teachers from multiple fields undergo three years of training to learn how to transform how they teach, evaluate, and plan lessons, all using AI.
Though still in its infancy, the program is already bearing fruit. In one school, a teacher uses AI to generate problem sets of differing levels of difficulty, suited to each student in the class. In another, a teacher uses AI to create personalized reading exercises for a struggling student. In addition, students have used AI in incredibly creative ways, designing small hydroelectric turbines to generate clean energy, or inventing a smart suitcase for travelers with disabilities.
This has changed both learning and teaching. As Meirav Seror, vice principal at the Amal Ramot high school in Beer Sheva, told JTA, “We used to think our job was to be the source of knowledge. But today, knowledge is everywhere. Our role now is to be mentors, to guide, to question, to help students reflect and apply.”
AI is at the forefront of technology. It is new, and shiny, and exciting, but it is also nothing more than a tool. It can be used to benefit humanity, or to humanity’s detriment. The Israeli educational projects currently being initiated are proof that there are plenty of ways to utilize AI to make the world better.
