A commission will soon be appointed to make an intensive survey of the Jewish teaching field as a prelude to action by individual communities to raise the professional and economic standards of instructors in Jewish religious schools, it is reported here. The establishment of an inquiry body was decided upon at the annual meeting in Baltimore of the American Association for Jewish Education, which was held last week-end.
In a report to the meeting prepared jointly by representatives of the Association and the American Federation of Hebrew Teachers it was revealed that teachers’ salaries have failed to keep pace with the cost of living. Only seven of 24 communities which replied to a questionnaire were paying annual salaries of $4,000 or more. Other conditions of employment, aside from salaries, are sub-standard, the report said.
It recommended that a code of practice be established in each community governing the relationship between the teacher and the school. A scale of salaries commensurate with decent living standards should be set with provision made for cost of living adjustments, and a Board of License should be established to protect the welfare of the teacher, the report added. It also urged a system of scholarships and in-service training to encourage the teacher to continue his studies, and the creation of camps and Hebrew high schools which would train students for future teachers.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
