New Israeli Licensing System

Today a new licensing system was intoduced to the Israeli people. It changes the way people can get their license, mostly for the bad side, and makes the process of getting a license really long and tiring.

First, the driving student has to go through 52 lessons. Even in the good case, with one lesson per day, this process takes more than ten weeks. Since these lessons include theoretical and practical driving, the entire process will take much more than 10 weeks. It will probably be about five or six months.

After those 52 lessons the student will have a test by the driving school manager, and after that he will go to the desired behind-the-wheel test. But even then, his trouble doesn't end.

When the happy student finally gets his licnese, it's not really a license. It's a permit, like in California. The student has to drive over 50 hours with his parents over a period of at least six months, and only then he gets his license. Indeed, a long process.

I went through the Israeli licensing system (yes, I have two licenses). Compared to the one in California, it's a total mess. The practical test in Israel is a complete joke (sad joke), with double standards for passing and sub-standard examiners. After the test, when the examiner gives the score sheet (not directly to the student, though), it is full of weird marks that no one understands. The student has no way of knowing what he did wrong (the examiner doesn't tell the result right after the test. The studnet has to wait a few hours before knowing).

All these changes won't help the licensing system at all. The real change must be in the practical test itself. It must be clear and friendly. The Californian way of teaching how to drive works very well. There is no reason for it not to work in Israel.

I hope the new system will not come into effect. It's simply annoying.
Yours,
Nadav

nadavs