WHERE EDUCATION IS UNDEMOCRATIC

...Formerly, a telegram sent to the Minister of Public Instruction by the University authorities on behalf of one or more students would result sometimes'in a less rigid interpretation of the rule...

...Aside from the acute forms of persecution, such as massacres and pogroms, the origin of which has invariably been traced to government agents, it would take volumes to enumerate all the legal restrictions and limitations to which the unfortunate Hebrew subjects of the bloody Czar are daily and hourly subjected...

...If the parents are wealthy and manage to contribute to the household expenses of certain teachers and of the principal of the school, their bov mav tret a high mark in spite of there being more able boys...

...This was in accord with what was practically the unanimous wish of the educated people of Russia...

...If anything, the conditions have become considerably worse than they were before the revolution...

...This rule is now more rigorously enforced than ever before, and thousands of boys of the age of 9-10 years go through the agony of severe competitive examinations...

...When the youth has graduated from the gymnasium and has an ambition to continue his studies at the university (and this is the rule with Jewish boys in Russia) his troubles begin again, for the same percentage of admission is observed here, and even more rigidly...

...Thus despotism and oppression breed corruption among the very people charged with the molding of the characters of the rising population...

...Now the Ministry of Public Instruction, in order to introduce uniformity in the decisions of various universities, has decided to adopt a genral rule that the number of Hebrew boys admitted to universities should not exceed 3 per cent...

...Thus, the number of Jewish boys permitted to enter a Russian Gymnasium which stands midway betwen an American high school and college, is limited to from 3 to 10 per cent, of the number of Gentile boys attending the same school...

...In those years none of the old restrictions were abolished, but the school authorities were allowed to disregard the old orders and use their own discretion in the matter of admitting Jews to the places of learning...

...WHERE EDUCATION IS UNDEMOCRATIC By ESTHER L. STONE THE so-called "constitution" which is supposed to have been introduced in Russia since October 1905 has wrought very little change in the general position of the Jews in Russia...

...As certain privileges and exceptions connected with military duties are granted to people of education, the government aims to prevent Jewish boys from receiving a higher education...

...At the same time, circulars were sent out to the councils of all the universities informing them of the usefulness of sending any such requests to the Ministry of Public Instruction, as all such requests will receive no attention in the future...

...During the few years after the revolution, while the government was trying to at least appear liberal, Jewish boys were admitted almost without restriction both to schools and universities...

...Failing to get the highest marks many of them have to see their hopes dashed and their careers crushed in the bud through no fault of their own...

...One form of these is the difficulties which confront the Jewish youths in acquiring education...

...Some boys have to come up before the awe-inspiring examining tribunals year after year, if they fail to gain admittance, though they may have received very good marks...

...The author knows of several cases where these unfortunate children contracted incurable nervous diseases, some of them ending fatally, as a result of the anxieties incident'to these competitive examinations...

...But all this has been changed now, as may be seen from the f$|r lowing announcement published in the Russian papers: The minister will not receive any requests for the admission of Jews above the established normal rate of 3 per cent...