Agricultural Schools to Be Established in Palestine by Kadoorie Fund

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)

The government has now definitely approved the scheme for establishing two agricultural schools, one Jewish and one Arabic, out of the funds bequeathed by the late Sir Ellis Kadoorie for the advancement of education in Palestine. Negotiations are now in progress between the Zionist Executive and the Government regarding the site of the Jewish School.

The late Sir Ellis Kadoorie bequeathed one-third of his estate to the British government to be spent by it on the provision of schools in Palestine or Mesopotamia. Although several of the bequests of the will were for institutions for the benefit of Jews, an official Government statement has explained, no such provision was made with respect to this particular gift. The British Government has accepted the bequest and has decided that the funds which are likely to amount to a sum in the neighborhood of £100,000 are to be spent in Palestine. In view of the terms of the will the Government has not felt itself justified in limiting the expenditure to schools for the Jewish population.

The Palestine Jews protested against this decision of the Government, contending that the legacy was left by a Jew for the purpose of assisting the development of Jewish national culture in Palestine. After Colonel Kisch, the head of the Palestine Zionist Executive and Dr. Lurie, the head of the Education Department of the Zionist Organization, had interviewed the Government, it was decided that instead of establishing, as had been intended, a mixed school available for the whole of the population of Palestine, two separate schools should be founded–one for Jews and the other for Arabs.

The Colonial Office later decided that the school should be agricultural achools, not High Schools. The Arab School will be at Tulkeram.