Pardes Hanna Agricultural High School
Encyclopedia
Pardes Hanna Agricultural High School established in 1935 by the Palestine Farmers Association, is one of the oldest agricultural high school in Israel
. It was the first agricultural high school in Palestine that allowed students to prepare for matriculation
exams, while similar schools in the country concentrated only on teaching agricultural skills, with very little general education.
The school was established originally for the children of farmers from Pardes Hanna-Karkur
and the vicinity, but soon it attracted students from farming families all over Israel. The school also operated a boarding school on the grounds.
In 2003 the school had 1,647 students in grades 7-12 and employed 160 teachers. The school's yard was among the largest yards of any school in Israel and includes a commercial egg laying chicken coop
, a dairy farm
, a nursery
, and a horse stable
. The school also owns large citrus
and Avocado
orchards that allow students to conduct studies in fruit production. All the work in the different agricultural fields is conducted by the students, under the guidance of professional guides, and it is a part of every students course of studies at the school. All students must take one matriculation exam in an agricultural field of study. Until the end of the 20th century all student had the opportunity of getting a tractor
driver's licence as part of their studies.
After a long budget crisis, bringing to the closing of the boarding school and reduction of much of the agricultural educational activities, in 2010 the school was transferred to the administration of the Branco Weiss schools network.
Among the school's graduates are Moti Kirschenbaum
, Avraham Katz-Oz
the former Agricultural Minister, Elazar Granot
, and General Aharon Yariv
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. It was the first agricultural high school in Palestine that allowed students to prepare for matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
exams, while similar schools in the country concentrated only on teaching agricultural skills, with very little general education.
The school was established originally for the children of farmers from Pardes Hanna-Karkur
Pardes Hanna-Karkur
Pardes Hanna-Karkur is a town in the Haifa District of Israel. In 2009, it had a population of 31,800.-History:In 1913, 15 square kilometers of land was purchased by the Hachsharat Hayishuv society from Arabs in Jenin and Haifa for 400,000 francs...
and the vicinity, but soon it attracted students from farming families all over Israel. The school also operated a boarding school on the grounds.
In 2003 the school had 1,647 students in grades 7-12 and employed 160 teachers. The school's yard was among the largest yards of any school in Israel and includes a commercial egg laying chicken coop
Chicken coop
A chicken coop is a building where female chickens are kept. Inside there are often nest boxes for egg laying and perches on which the birds can sleep, although coops for meat birds seldom have either of these features....
, a dairy farm
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
, a nursery
Nursery (horticulture)
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...
, and a horse stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
. The school also owns large citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
and Avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
orchards that allow students to conduct studies in fruit production. All the work in the different agricultural fields is conducted by the students, under the guidance of professional guides, and it is a part of every students course of studies at the school. All students must take one matriculation exam in an agricultural field of study. Until the end of the 20th century all student had the opportunity of getting a tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
driver's licence as part of their studies.
After a long budget crisis, bringing to the closing of the boarding school and reduction of much of the agricultural educational activities, in 2010 the school was transferred to the administration of the Branco Weiss schools network.
Among the school's graduates are Moti Kirschenbaum
Moti Kirschenbaum
-Biography:Kirschenbaum was born in Kfar Saba in 1939. He studied in Pardes Hanna Agricultural High School. He served in the parachuted Nahal unit of the IDF. From 1962 to 1968 he studied film and television in UCLA....
, Avraham Katz-Oz
Avraham Katz-Oz
Avraham Katz-Oz is an Israeli former politician who served as a member of the Knesset from 1977 until 1996, and as Minister of Agriculture from 1988 until 1990.-Biography:...
the former Agricultural Minister, Elazar Granot
Elazar Granot
Elazar Granot is an Israeli politician and a writer. He currently resides in Kibbutz Shoval.-Biography:Born in Jerusalem during the Mandate Palestine, Granot was educated at Pardes Hanna Agricultural High School, before moving onto the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he studied philosophy,...
, and General Aharon Yariv
Aharon Yariv
Aharon "Aharale" Rabinovich Yariv was an Israeli politician and soldier.Born in Moscow in the Soviet Union. When he was 15 he immigrated to Israel and studied at the Pardes Hanna Agricultural High School. Yariv began his military service in the Haganah and later the British Army. He then joined...
.