A half-million pupils returned to school in Israel today at the end of the summer vacations and some 50,000 entered school for the first time.
Substantial gains were recorded in the battle of school officials against overcrowding. The new school term opened with 450 “second shift” classes, which are held in the after noon for lack of classroom space. There were 577 such classes last year and 789 in 1958. The progressive decrease was achieved despite population increases from natural growth and from immigration.
The current high school enrollment was reported at 73,000, compared with 61,000 in the previous year. Attendance at Arab schools also was increased, with 35,000 Arab children in elementary schools and 5,000 in state kindergartens. Vocational, agricultural and handicraft classes were marked by an 18 percent increase over 1959.
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