Should Charedi schools that refuse to teach LGBT issues be closed?

QUESTION: Should Charedi schools be forced to close if they do not teach about LGBT issues or are they right in arguing their religious freedom is being infringed by the secular authorities?

Rabbi Brawer: It is not just a question of LGBT inclusion. The current tension between Charedi schools and Ofsted extends to other aspects of the sciences and humanities as well. Examples cited include not teaching evolution and the biology of reproduction, censoring romantic passages out of classical literature and circumscribing modern art.

The Charedi argument is that despite these strictures their schools turn out refined graduates who are law-abiding and respectful members of society. They contrast their education system with its secular counterpart, which they say is plagued by atheism, drugs and promiscuous sex.

Who then, they ask rhetorically, is promoting British values? While this sweeping characterisation of contemporary secular education is ungrounded, there is truth to the argument that Charedi graduates tend to be peaceful, family-oriented, law-abiding citizens. Is this enough? Regrettably, it is not.

The purpose of education in a Western liberal democracy is not just to inculcate obedience and respect, but also to inspire curiosity, independence of thought and self-expression. The balance between these poles is difficult to get right, but a rounded education at least aims in that direction. The Charedi argument that they are the true bearers of British values is disingenuous, not because secular education also turns out respectful law-abiding citizens, but because secular education includes important British values that Charedim disregard.

And this is the crux of the matter. The Charedi way of life is predicated on respect for authority and it is threatened by curiosity and independence of thought. Charedim have no choice but to set up a dichotomy between two aspects of British values. Non-Charedi Orthodox schools manage just fine. They can integrate the full range of British values within a Jewish, even Orthodox framework, because they are considerably, though not uncritically, more open to society and its values.

Is the state infringing on the religious freedom of the Charedim? One would have to define “religious” in very broad terms for this to be the case. Empowering a student to think independently may conceivably result in the rejection of their community or even their faith, but that is a secondary outcome. One would be hard pressed to argue that education itself is a violation of religious freedom.

Invoking religious persecution is a serious charge. It should not be levelled lightly. The government is well within its rights to demand a basic standard of education for all its citizens.

Rabbi Brawer is Neubauer chief executive of Hillel, Tufts University

Rabbi Romain: This begs the question of what are schools for? If we say the answer is “for education”, that means opening the minds of children and widening their horizons.

This is very different from the reality of some schools, be it Charedi or those from other faiths, who would instead say the answer was “indoctrination”. They may not use that word out aloud, but certainly indicate it by the way they limit the curriculum. It might be argued that they have a right to bring up children with the values in which the parents and surrounding community believes, but values and knowledge are entirely separate.

In history, we teach about Torquemada, Disraeli, Napoleon and Hitler, even though we have varying views as to how good or evil they were. We would not dream of editing out those of whom we disapprove. Facts and attitude are different.

So too with sexuality. It is ridiculous to ban all mention of homosexuality, even if one thinks it is “an abomination” (though I do not). It is doubly wrong, both denying pupils general knowledge about human life and doing a personal disservice to any Charedi children (probably at least 10 per cent) who are gay and need help understanding it.

But it is not just LGBT issues —they are the canaries in the educational system and sit alongside other wrongs that are perpetrated, such as lack of science. Schools should teach about evolution. It may be that in Charedi schools evolution is presented as one of several theories and the teachers indicate it is more likely that God created the world according to Genesis; but omitting it is simply blinkering the pupils.

An even greater problem is that girls may not be given the educational chances they deserve, while many of the boys lack basic skills in English and maths, which can limit their employment options in later life and might even doom them to being benefit-recipients.

The unpleasant truth is that Charedi leaders fear that any exposure to knowledge of wider realities will lead the children astray. This displays a remarkable lack of confidence in Charedi ways.

Religious freedom is enormously important, but it also carries responsibilities. It certainly should not be used as an excuse to emasculate a whole generation of children.

Let Charedi children remain Charedi, but it should be through choice, not from being effectively imprisoned lifelong by a warped education.

Jonathan Romain is rabbi at Maidenhead (Reform) Synagogue