Representatives of various Jewish organization were divided last night at a hearing by the New York City Board of Education on a proposal by School Superintendent Bernard Donovan that would allocate part of $65, 000, 000 in Federal funds for aid to disadvantaged children in parochial and other non-public schools in poverty areas.
Under the plan, $15, 000, 000 would be spent on special instruction, remedial reading and speech therapy for poor children in religious and other non-public schools, in accordance with the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which provides for such aid to non-public schools. The New York Board of Education is scheduled to act on the plan next Wednesday.
Jewish groups supporting the proposal included the Jewish Education Committee of New York, the National Society for Hebrew Day Schools, and the Agudath Israel of America. Jewish groups opposing the measure included the American Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, and the National Council of Jewish Women.
Marvin Karpatkin, representing the American Jewish Congress, urged the Board to reject the proposal because, he said, the measure violated both the Federal and State constitutions: Rabbi Morris Sherer, executive vice-president of Agudath Israel, said that any failure by the Board to provide remedial services for disadvantaged children in nonpublic schools would violate the Federal law.
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