New research by Nahamu – a think-tank that counters extremism in the Jewish community – has revealed the failure of the current UK framework of education legislation to address the profound education deficit within Charedi Jewish communities.
Thousands of Charedi children in London and Manchester receive little or no secular education. Many are not enabled to sit standardised examinations and some will not even be taught to read or write English.
The new Labour government has promised to address some of these failings, but significant gaps within official guidance mean that loopholes will continue to be exploited and the duty to provide a proper education to children avoided.
Nahamu’s research analyses in detail the shortcomings in the legislative framework, outlines the ideology behind decisions made by Charedi school leaders, and explains the arguments that are deployed when by those who design and lead Charedi schools.
These educational issues principally impact boys, as most Charedi girls receive a broader education in registered schools. In particular, Nahamu has found that they disproportionately affect boys in Chassidic families who live in North and East London, and the Salford and Prestwich areas of Greater Manchester.
Yehudis Fletcher, co-founder of Nahamu said:
“This report clearly shows that the UK’s education laws are in desperate need of an update. The government has promised to act, and thousands of children are relying on it to do just that.
Children have an inalienable right to education. Parents have the right to choose what that education looks like, within reason. But we do not believe they have the right to restrict children’s access to education so severely, with such life altering consequences.
The Jewish community has so many institutions and traditions it is proud of. Education is the cornerstone of our tradition. This new practice of denying children access to education is unethical, immoral, and profoundly unJewish.”
Read the Education Position Paper here.