Future of Jewish Education in Palestine: All Teachers in Jewish Agency Schools Given Notice Their En

All the teachers employed in the schools of the Jewish Agency have received notice that their engagements terminate on September 30th., Dr. Berkson, the Director of Education of the Jewish Agency, has informed the J.T.A. here. The teachers are assured, however, he explained, that the present Executive will recommend their successors to give preference to those teachers who are now employed in the schools, and it is anticipated that the great majority of them will be re-engaged. The notice, which is merely formal, has been sent to about 450 permanent teachers and may involve the dismissal of 50 permanent and 50 temporary teachers if the Executive’s present education grant of £77,000 is reduced to £50,000, although in order to maintain the present Jewish education system without closing down any classes or withdrawing the subsidies of the Communities for kindergartens, it is necessary to have a minimum of £65,000.

The rules require that notice of discharge to teachers must be given three months before the end of the year, the report of the Education Department to the last Congress in 1929 stated. For this reason, during the last few years, a number of teachers, anywhere from 75 to 150, had to be given notice of dismissal, on July 1st., while awaiting the result of the Congress decision on the budget in the middle of the summer. Naturally, the discharge of teachers creates a tumult. In recent years the schools have been opened late because there is an insufficient interval between the Congress and the beginning of the school year to make the adjustments rendered necessary by a new budget. It is impossible to build up an educational system under the pressure of annual crises, hysteria, and hectic planning. A three years’ plan of development is needed for constructive work; the very least possible is a two years’ plan, which would introduce basic changes only one year after the Congress decision.