Aj Committee Urges Nixon to Consider Dual Enrollment As Solution to Financial Problems of Non-public

The American Jewish Committee urged President Nixon to consider dual enrollment as a solution to the financial problems of private and parochial schools. Philip E. Hoffman, AJ Committee president, said dual enrollment provided a constitutional method to implement the President’s recent pledge to find a means to aid parochial schools. Nixon made the pledge in an address last Thursday to the convention of the National Catholic Education Committee in Philadelphia.

Hoffman suggested that dual enrollment would avoid constitutional difficulties. The program, he explained, “permits religious school pupils to attend nearby public schools on a part time basis for instruction in non-religious subjects such as mathematics, science, industrial arts, home economics and physical education.” It would relieve parochial schools of the burden of providing instruction in those subjects.

At the same time, the National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs (COLPA), hailed Nixon’s pledge. Howard Rhine, president of COLPA, said “We are hopeful that the President will come forth with specific programs that will result in the substantial aid necessary to enable parochial schools to survive and continue their significance contributions to American education.” But while Nixon was addressing the Catholic group, a three-judge federal court in Philadelphia declared unconstitutional a Pennsylvania law that would have reimbursed parents for tuition paid for students in non-public schools.