Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1406

 1354 PALESTINE

schools, a synagogue, public library, town hall, hospital, pharmacy and public baths.

The total population of these settlements is about 15,000. Of the above- mentioned the following settlements belong to the Jewish National Fund, which was established by the Zionist Organisation for the purpose of acquiring lands to remain the national property of the Jewish people : — Ben Shemen, Hulda, Kfar Mlal, Dilb, Nahlath Jehuda, Merhaviah, Kinereth, Daganiah and Hittin. The Palestine Land Development Company, a Society similarly organised by the Zionist Organisation, possesses the lands of Tel Adas, Kalandiah, some lands on the Carmel, at Jaffa, Jerusalem, &c. The other colonies were mostly founded by Baron Edmund de Rothschild and by the Jewish Colonisation Association. This Association administers all the pro- perties of Baron de Rothschild. The total area of the Jewish settlements is 590,020 dunams or about 147,505 acres. There are 35,481 dunams (about 8,870 acres) of plantations, and among them : 14,777 dunams (about 3,695 acres) vineyards, 33,825 dunams (about 8,456 acres) almond groves, 13,322 dunams (about 3,330 acres) olive plantations, 12,456 dunams (about 3,114 acres) orange groves, and 4,566 dunams (about 1,141 acres) eucalyptus plantations. There are two agricultural schools at Mikweh-Israel and Petach-Tikvah respectively. The Hebrew High School in Jaffa has 30 teachers and 750 pupils. The Jewish Agricultural Experiment Stations at Atlit and Zichron Jacob carry on agricultural and botanical research work.

Instruction. — The approximate number of children under 14 in Palestine is as follows: Moslems 110,000, Christians 12,500, Jews 11,000. The schools maintained by the Government are 123 in number, and contain about 10.000 children ; the scholars are mostly Moslems. There are also 53 schools partly maintained by the Government. A general extension of village education is in process of being carried out by the Department of Education, as there are over 90,000 Moslem children who do not attend school at all. Two Government Training Colleges have been established in Jerusalem for men and women. Technical education has been widely intro- duced, and teachers' examinations have been held throughout the country, and all Government teachers are now civil servants. A Law School has been started in Jerusalem, a School of Phannacy will open very shortly, a Technical College is in process of organisation, and civil service examina- tions for clerks have been organised. The Christian communities provide, to a very large extent, for their own children, and about 10,000 children are attending their schools.

The Jews maintain their own schools, for which various Jewish organisations are responsible. Of these, the Zionist Organisation, in 1920, controlled 42 Kindergartens with 2,974 pupils and 113 teachers ; 48 Elementary Schools with 6,704 pxipils and 312 teachers ; 12 Intermediate Schools with 1,252 pupils and 136 teachers ; 6 Trade Schools with 325 pupils and 14 teachers ; and 10 Evening Classes with 588 pupils and 27 teachers ; making a total of 118 schools, 11,843 pupils and 602 teachers. The Inter- mediate Schools comprise 4 gymnasia, 2 teachers' training colleges, 1 Normal School for Kindergarten teachers, 1 arts and crafts school, 2 agricultural schools. In all these schools Hebrew is the medium of instruction. The budget for these schools amounted to £105,000. The Jewish Technics] Institute in Haifa is expected to be opened in 1921.

Justice. — The Administration has established the following Courts of Justices : — A Magistrates' Court in every town of importance, composed of a single Palestine Judge, who deals with smaller civil and criminal cases;