Court ruling raises question of equality

The judge noted that one Jewish state school which operates on two campuses had been rated outstanding by Ofsted. (He must have been referring to the Hasmonean High School in London.)

He rejected the argument that segregation in itself reflects an archaic worldview of women as inferior.

But here is how some Jewish schools might be vulnerable to legal challenge. Specifically, state-aided Jewish schools which offer different Jewish studies programmes to boys and girls.

It would be unlawful to offer boys and girls different science courses, for example, in a mixed school. But it has been assumed religious studies were exempt from the legislation and schools were free to organise them according to their religious beliefs.

Ofsted's guidelines state that where segregation exists on religious grounds, " there must be good educational reasons for doing so."

Suppose you have a Jewish school where girls and boys are separated for Jewish studies and the boys learn Talmud and the girls do not. It could be argued boys are receiving a more advanced Jewish education than girls. So now could we see a Jewish school in court?