Yet the hundreds of pupils in the new schools faded into insignificance when compared with the hundreds of thousands who were educated exclusively in the old schools.

The fatal year 1875, the last of the twenty years of respite granted to the melammeds for their self-annihilation, arrived.

But the huge melammed army was not willing to pass out of Jewish life, in which they exercised a definite function, with no substitute to take its place.

The Government was forced to yield.

After several brief postponements the melammeds were left in peace, and by an ukase issued in 1879 the idea of abolishing the heders was dropped.
Towards the end of this period the Government abandoned altogether its attempts to reform the Jewish schools, and decided to liquidate its former activity in this direction.