Can my son learn about other faiths at school?

The Jewish community is divided in its response to the recent government proposal that the GCSE religious studies curriculum should consist of the study of at least two faiths. Chief Rabbi Mirvis opposes it, while Progressive leaders such as Rabbis Laura Janner-Klausner and Danny Rich support it.

Those who oppose it argue that the religious studies GCSE is a valuable opportunity for Jewish students to learn about their own faith and that introduction of an additional faith will cut into this time. They also argue that it will likely impact on students’ academic performance, as it is akin to introducing Spanish into a German language GCSE.

Supporters of the proposal argue that exposure to other faiths is crucial if we are to raise our children to understand and respect people of all faith, particularly in a world that is so riven by religious strife and sectarianism.

I agree wholeheartedly with the second view. GCSE modules are not designed to make up for a shoddy Jewish education. It is an indictment on the Jewish school system that depends so heavily on the GCSE to teach its students about their own faith. Surely, year-10 Jewish school pupils should have enough knowledge of Judaism without having to rely on the GCSE module. If however they don’t have this knowledge, then Jewish leaders have a far more pressing problem than what is or is not included in the GCSE. The comparison to introducing Spanish into a German language GCSE is simply spurious.

A Jewish school that does a good job of teaching Judaism has absolutely nothing to fear from exposing its pupils to the study of other faiths. Having spent close to two decades in interfaith work, I know at first hand the value of exposure to other faiths. Learning about the faith of others has only strengthened my own faith. I have become more sensitive to the unique contours of Judaism, leading to deep gratitude and joy for being a Jew while at the same time developing an awareness and respect for the deep God-consciousness and spirituality in the faith of others.

Rabbi Jonathan Romain Jonathan Romain is rabbi at Maidenhead (Reform) Synagogue.

Before making a decision, perhaps you should ask yourself why the Government has changed the GCSE format so as to ensure that students study more than one faith.

It reflects two facts that we know about, but whose consequences we often ignore. The first is that Britain today is a religiously diverse country. Its history and culture may be Christian-based, but synagogues, mosques, temples and gurdwaras abound.

There is a plethora of interfaith organisations but they affect relatively few people nationally; some synagogues have meetings with other faith groups, but others shun them.

It is wonderful to live in such a pluralist environment but there is a danger that the different faith groups grow up and operate in isolated silos, and a multi-faith country becomes a multi-fractious one. The second fact is the growth of faith schools in recent years; ours have increased enormously, the Church has added over a hundred, while Muslim, Sikh and Hindu ones have sprung up. Some are models of inclusivity and to be admired; others are deliberately created to cocoon the children under their care and hide them away from interaction with children of other faiths or no faith.

You could describe this as a “parallel educational system” or you could call it “segregation”, but whatever label, it is not healthy for society to ghettoise its future citizens, so that they grow up physically apart and mentally in an “us and them” culture.

Given the above, the government wants to ensure the children have at least some understanding of a faith other than their own, both for reasons of general knowledge and for social cohesion, so that they can relate to those they see across the street but to whom they never speak.

Why should your son, or other Jewish children, not know about Christianity or Islam? Religious education is not religious indoctrination. He will be taught about them, not be encouraged to believe in them. It is the same as when he learns about Napoleon or Bismarck in history; he is being asked to be aware of them, not endorse them. Those who are worried that Jewish children will suddenly convert to other faiths must have extraordinarily little confidence in their Jewish identity (especially those at Jewish schools). Instead, they should be pleased that their children are being better equipped to emerge into the society that surrounds them.