The Montreal Jewish School Commission may continue to exist simply as an advisory and consultative body, since its active functions have ceased as a result of the agreement which it entered into with the Protestants. This was the opinion expressed today by J. A. Mathewson, chairman of the Protestant School Board.
“The future status of the Jewish School Commission is a matter for the Legislature to decide,” said Mr. Mathewson, “but the control over the schools under the new arrangement lies entirely with the Protestants. I imagine that the Jewish Board might be kept as an advisory body to see that the spirit and letter of the agreement are carried out.”
Mr. Mathewson pointed out that Jewish children form one-third of the pupils of the Protestant schools and that the cost of educating Jewish children is $850,000, of which $515,000 is covered by Jewish taxes. The deficit, he said, will have to be contributed partly by the neutral tax panel and the remainder by the Catholic and Protestant sections.
Jewish leaders in this city who have been fighting for separate Jewish schools claim that Jewish taxes alone would have been sufficient to cover the cost of maintaining an independent Jewish school system.
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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.
