I am afraid that the new regulations governing admission to the High Schools in Roumania by requiring students to sit for special entrance examinations apart from the matriculation examinations, which the law provides as the sole requirement for entrance to the Universities, are intended really for introducing a hidden numerus clausus, Chief Rabbi Senator Dr. Niemirover complained at the meeting of the Senate Commission examining the new regulations.
He could not see the need of these special entrance examinations, the Chief Rabbi said. Either the High Schools have room for all the students applying for admission, in which case all the children of the State are equally entitled to be admitted, or there is a lack of room, and in that case the matriculation examination should be made a more severe test of the students’ capabilities, but the examination should be uniform and not left to the caprice of each University authority.
The Minister of Education, Professor Costacescu, rose to protest against Chief Rabbi Niemirover’s use of the words “hidden numerus clausus”. There can be no question, he declared, of any numerus clausus over being introduced into Roumania. There is really a great deal of difficulty to find room for all students, he said, but there is no intention whatever to prejudice the Jewish students as against any other students.
Chief Rabbi Dr. Niemirover replied that the Minister’s statement did not satisfy him and that he would probably raise the question at a plenary session of the Senate.
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