British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 656

CHAPTER XVI.

their early years in a Hebrew atmosphere. The kindergartens are maintained by local or private enterprise, but are mostly under the supervision of the Va'ad Leumi Department of Education.

At the age of 6 to 7 children are admitted to the elementary' school proper, where the course covers eight standards. In the higher classes there are no alternative curricula for children of various tastes and capacities. The eighth elementary standard is equated with the Government first secondary. Lately some attempt has been made in a few schools to introduce serious manual work. In some schools, more particularly those frequented by children of the poorer classes, there is a tendency for pupils to leave after the 5th year, i.e. about the age of 11 plus. An enquiry has indicated that this is partly due to the lack of sufficient practical instruction in the higher classes. The syllabus of the settlement schools is not essentially different from that of the town schools; except 'that gardening is taught in most schools, and that in the smaller settlements no English is taught. All kindergartens and most schools, especially those in the settlements, are co-educational.

(c) SECONDARY EDUCATION.

83. Under this head are included academic secondary schools, technical and agricultural schools and teacher training colleges, but the three last categories are dealt with separately below in paragraphs 84 and 85.

Within the system there were 26 academic secondary schools in 1943/44 with 8,764 pupils. 11 of these were complete "gymnasia" of the old Continental type, i.e. they comprised an elementary section of 8 standards, followed by 4 secondary standards equated to Secondary standards II-Von Government nomenclature. Most of the other schools had secondary standards only. The number of pupils in secondary standards was 4,769. With one exception, all schools are co-educational, and the great majority belong to the "General" trend.

The schools are mostly owned by private or semi-private bodies, and maintained almost entirely out of fees. The Va'ad Leumi with the help of Tel Aviv Municipality now gives indirect assistance in the form of scholarships awarded on the results of a competitive examination. In 1943/44 189 pupils were in receipt of scholarships totalling £P.3,780. In t.he current year, 1945/46, a public secondary school has been opened by Tel Aviv Municipality.

All the schools submit their top secondary classes to an annual examination conducted by the Vaad Leumi Department; on the results of which, combined with the school marks, a School Leaving Certificate is awarded.


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