Kaye College – College in the Negev for Residents of the Negev
Why Kaye College is the Choice for You
Kaye College traces its roots to 1954, when it was founded in Be’er Sheva as the “One-year Seminary for Rural Teachers in the Negev”. In 1996, the College received formal academic accreditation under its current name.
Kaye Academic College of Education in Be’er Sheva has a student body of about 2,300 Jewish and Arab students from the Negev and throughout Israel. Additionally, the College serves as a regional professional development center for thousands of educators and teaching staff from Be’er Sheva and the surrounding areas. The College is authorized to issue teaching certificates and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degrees. It also offers a wide range of Master of Education (M.Ed.) programs, serving as a hub for learning, research, and pedagogical innovation in the Negev, driven by the belief that education is a social mission.
The College is also a proud participant of the UNESCO Chairs program on the subject of “The Center for the Advancement of Social Justice in Education and Society.” This program aims to promote research, training, and international cooperation.
Kaye College at the Forefront of Advancing the Bedouin Population in the Negev: A National Imperative of the Highest Order
Seventy-five percent of Israel’s Bedouin population resides in the Negev. The Bedouin residents of the Negev face severe socioeconomic disadvantages compared to the national average, struggling with low employment rates and limited access to education. Many reside in unrecognized villages that lack basic infrastructure, including water, electricity, and telecommunications.
We firmly believe that higher education is the key to empowering Bedouin women in particular, and the younger Bedouin generation as a whole. Consequently, making academia more accessible to Bedouin society is of paramount national importance, rooted in various government resolutions aimed at advancing the Bedouin population in the Negev.
The College’s vision is deeply aligned with this mission. Bedouin students make up a considerable percentage of our student body, and Kaye College provides them with a supportive and stable environment for pursuing higher education. The College has developed diverse solutions to help this population succeed academically despite the challenges they face of poor living conditions and lack of digital connectivity.
For instance, the College provides laptops equipped with cellular modems to Bedouin students without Internet access at home, ensuring they can connect to essential academic services. Our Bedouin alumni serve as positive role models within their communities, inspiring countless other young Bedouins to follow in their footsteps.