5,000 Members of College Faculties
Protest 'Unconscionable' Soviet Tax
tags to
NEW YORK — More than "To attach price
5.000 faculty members froth scholars demeans the entire
process
of
education,"
they
some 250 American and
Canadian colleges joined this declared.
Last month, 21 Nobel Prize
week in a public protest of
the Soviet Union's "toscon• winners, in a published ad-
scionable head taxes" on
emigrants.
The academicians' open
appeal to Premier Aleksei
By HAIM SIIACHTER
N. Kosygin urged the Soviet
JERUSALEM — About
government to rescind t he 830,000 children returned to
"benighted decree" that has kindergartens, primary and
"transformed the Soviet in- post-primary schools in Is-
telligentsia into a class of
rael for the new school year.
indentured servants."
A threatened teachers'
The statement and a roster
strike was averted at the
of its signers and their
last moment.
schools was sponsored by the
Innovations in school plan-
Academic Committee on
ning include:
Soviet Jewry as a double-
Introduction of
30 addi-
page advertisement in Tues-
day's edition of the New tional intermediary school
York Times. The Academic units, so that about one-third
Committee is headed by of all seventh-graders will
Prof. Hans J. Morgenthau, now be embraced by the ''ed-
the City University of New ucational reform" frame-
York's distinguished political work introduced two years
ago:
scientist.
vertisement, called upon So-
viet authorities "to rescind
the head tax and accept fully
and without hindrance every-
one's right to leave his coun-
try."
Israeli Schools Alter Curricula
The academicians called
for removal of "all arbitrary
bars to the free movement
of educated people ... other-
wise a crippling blow is in-
flicted upon their rights as
human beings, upon science
and culture, and ultimately
upon the welfare of mankind.
"Since the decree affects
principally Jews who wish to
go to Israel (the) policy
bears the ugly stamp of dis-
crimination," the statement
added.
A committee official said
that the number of signers
was twice that of the largest
group of faculty members
who had joined in any pre-
vious protest by the Aca-
demic Committee in behalf
of Soviet Jews.
"The outpouring of faculty
support indicates how strong.
ly the academic world feels
about a policy that demands
an educated man pay ran-
som for his knowledge," the
committee official said.
About 60 per cent of those
who signed the appeal are
mathematicians or in the sci-
ences. Nearly half are non-
Jews. The Massachusetts In-
stitute of Technology led all
institutions with 201 signers.
In a separate statement,
released by the Academic
Committee last week, the
presidents and chancellors of
86 colleges denounced the
heal tax as a "stunning blow
to fundamental human rights
and to academic freedom."
The presidents of Rutgers,
Duke, Dartmouth, Brandeis.
the University of Minnesota
Queens College, Vanderbilt,
Loyola (New Orleans) and
the City College of New York
were among those who con-
demned the Soviet policy as
"challenging the very foun-
dations of detente, of mutual
cooperation, of cultural, aca-
demic
and scientific ex-
change "
Similarly, the presidents of
Ilarvard, M.I.T., Boston Uni-
versity and the University of
Massachusetts joined in
a
condemnation of their own.
Annulment of the "Seker"
(elementary passing out
exam) which determined a
child's entrance into secon-
dary school and overshad•
owed the life and thoughts
of many an eighth-grader in
the country.
Introduction of changes In
the form and structure of the
"Bagrut" (matriculation or
rsecondary school leaving
!certificate exam) so that as
from the new school year an
appreciable part of the coon-
!try's 10th graders will be
studying in accordance with
the new educational curricu-
lum.
Introduction of new curri-
cula in English for the 5th,
61h, 11th and 12th grades,
laying special Si7PSS on the
study of English as a spoken
language and as a medium
of communication. The study
of Shakespeare in secondary
schools will be dropped. New
experimental curricula in
mathematical studies will be
tried out in about 100 schools.
Introduction of new sub-
jects, such as the study
of computers in some 30 !
classes throughout the coun-
try.
Robert J. Huber of Troy Troy, Oakland County com-
has the support of Congress- missioner and state senator,
man William S. Broomfield ' said he has a strong belief
in the race for a congression-
in the U.S. fulfilling its com-
al seal in the new 18th Dis- mitments to Israel. lie also
trict.
has voted and worked for
Huber, former mayor of strong schools, he said.
L
Israel Discovers
Ancient Cargoes
The cargoes of two an-
This year's school popu-
lation shows an increase of cient ships have been dis-
about 28,000 over the num- covered near Shavei Zion in
ber of pupils in the last the Western Galilee and
school year. The increase is near Sharrn El-Sheikh. Ama-
especially noticable in the 3, teur frogmen, working under
4 and 5 age groups. the auspices of the Society
The lack of sufficient num- for Undersea Archeological
bers of teachers generally Research, helped to bring
serves as a bottleneck in the them up. The shipwreck near
country's educational net- Shavei Zion dates back to
work. The teaching profes- the Persian period (Fourth to
sion no longer proves an at- Sixth Century BCE) while
traction to young people, par- the other wreck, said to be
ticularly to men. Not so long an Arabic ship, dates back
ago the ministry of educa- to the 16th to 18th Century.
tion decided to close a con- Searches for the Shavei Zion
siderable number of teacher ship were started after fish-
training seminaries with a ermen found several clay
view to raising the standard figurines off of the coast.
of the Institutions remain- The ship's cargo was appar-
ing, as well as to reducing ently mercury. Clay vessels
the number of unemployed and copper bowls, as well
teachers at a time when the as the navigating instruments
teaching profession in the and the ship's anchor, were
country was over-filled. The found at the S h a r m El-
increase in immigration and Sheikh shipwreck.
in birthrate after the Six-
Robert Huber Runs in 18th District
B—Friday, Nov. 3, 1972
Day War led to a drastic
change in the situation, with
the result that a number of
teacher - training institutions
have been reopened. The new
school year finds about 7,400
students registered with
teacher-training seminaries
throughout the country—an
increase of about 40 per cent
over the number of students
last year .
Thus it is estimated that
the teacher shortage should
be obviated in about three to
four years, and it will no
longer be necessary to em-
nloy unqualified teachers as
is the case at present.
Physical training will re-
ceive more attention this
, year. Fifth-graders will re-
receive three hours of physi-
cal training weekly instead
of two hours hitherto. Swim-
, ming lessons will be com-
pulsory for all fifth-graders.
Special attention also will
be devoted to reducing the
number of dropouts. Last
, year 2.5 per cent of primary
school pupils dropped out.
Special classes will be opened
for dropouts in some 50 lo-
, calities, and lessons will be
given to backward pupils to
enable them to return to
their classes.
Some 300 new classes will
be opened for children in
need of special education,
so that in all some 30,000
such pupils will be studying
in 2,300 classes.
The food basket in school
canteens will he considerably
improved in the new school
year, as will school libraries
which will now be run by
special librarians so as to
raise the reading standards
of pupils.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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U.S.
In America's Best Interests
CONGRESSMAN
WILLIAM
BROOMFIELD
should be returned to his seat for his efforts
in defense of this nation's most urgent interests
in crucial matters.
As a member of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, Congressman Broomfield is one
of the most active, best informed and dedi-
cated supporters of justice for the
op-
pressed and in defense of the State of Israel.
As sponsor of basic legislation in Israel's de-
fense, Congressman Broomfield has earned
the gratitude of the American people, and the
proper expression of appreciation is to labor
for his return to Congress.
Signed
MAX FISHER
Re•Elect Bill Broomfield
Broomfield Re-election Committee