Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 383

A number of teachers are employed in part-time posts, which •accounts for the difference between the number of new teachers :and new posts. In 5693 the number of full-time posts amounted to 811, and in 5695 to 1078.7, an increase of 267.7 of full-time posts. The new posts are divided as follows : 128.2 in General schools (597 in 5695 as against 468.8 in 5693), 42.6 in Mizrachi schools (203.2 in 5693 and 245.8 in 5695, and 96.9 in Histadruth : schools (138.8 in 5693 and 235.7 in 5695). Problems. 1. The Government Contribution to the Education Budget. As far back as 5688 it was established that the criterion of the Government's contribution to the Jewish education budget would be the percentage of the Jewish population to the general population of the country. According to this the Government allocated approximately £P. 20,000 to Jewish education in that year. That figure remained stationary, with slight modifications, for six years, although the Jewish population has continuously increased, as has the education budget of the Government. Only in 5693 did the Government contribution to the Hebrew education budget increase to £P. 26,627, and in 5695 to £P. 28,000. However, this contribution is inadequate considering the proportion of the Jewish to the total population and the increase of the Government education budget. The criterion for the grant-in-aid to education has not yet received final approval by the Government. Three years ago another criterion was suggested for fixing the grant-in-aid, namely, not according to the proportion of Jews to the total population, but according to the proportion of Jewish children of school age to the total number of children of school age in the country. This proposal was connected with another made by Jewish representatives— namely, an additional 200 milles per Jewish child. The negotiations regarding this question are still in progress. The Vaad Leumi is opposed to this method of calculating the grant-in-aid. It finds that it is excessively complicated, and it does not allow, under the existing circumstances, for correct estimates, as there are large sections of the population (Bedouins) of whom no exact numbers are available, nor of their children. The Vaad Leumi, therefore, demands that the grant-in-aid be fixed in accordance with the proportion of the Jews to the total population of the country. As they constitute 24 per cent, of the population, they should accordingly receive 24 per cent, of the Government Education Budget. The -additional grant of £P. 8,000 to the Hebrew Education system for 5696, bringing the total of that year up to £P. 36,000 falls considerably below the amount to which the Jews are entitled on the basis of their population. 2. Centralisation and Decentralisation. The unjustified treatment meted out by the Government to the Hebrew education system is one of the main factors causing 383