THE UNIVERSITIES

עמוד:39

ulty . The reality will not be as bleak as it might appear . One could envisage several options that would not involve any reduction of existing university faculty . The Israeli universities now require an annual intake of about 200 new academic staff . They might institute a system whereby the 200 newly engaged junior and senior lecturers would be given part-time appointments with their universities for the first few years and would be required during this period to serve part-time in the schools . In this way there would be no stagnation in the growth of faculty ; the brightest young Ph . D . 's would find their place in the universities ; the schools would be enriched through their part-time service and the universities would reduce expenditure through part-time appointments of junior and senior lecturers . An alternative approach might be forced on the universities if financial cuts continue in a severe form . They might be compelled to reduce the annual intake of new faculty from 200 to say , 100 . This would be harmful to the development of the universities but , at least , it would not involve the dismissal of any of the present faculty . This alternative may never arise , but if it did , one could only hope that the Ph . D . scholars who could not find a place in the universities might find an acceptable outlet for their abilities in the learning system at schools . If they joined the staffs of schools , they would contribute to the raising of the standard and the status of the educators and the doors for an eventual return to the universities would not be barred to them . A restructuring to guided self-study would have many advantages . Israeli students serve three years in the Army . Those who have served in the armed forces know that a great deal of time is spent waiting and doing nothing . Some of this free time could be used by the soldiers to study courses and acquire credits . Even in 1984 , 12 per cent , i . e ., about 2 , 000 , of the E . U . students are soldiers serving in the armed forces . With a little encouragement , the number could be doubled or trebled . In addition , gifted and hard-working students could reach the first academic degree in less than the usual three years . Faculty would be freed for the tasks for which they are uniquely qualified , namely research , creative thinking , guiding the graduates who

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