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London inspectors are 'hostile' towards Charedi schools, leader claims
Chaya Spitz, chief executive of the Interlink Foundation, says Northern inspectors have been more respectful
June 27, 2018 13:13
Chaya Spitz, chief executive of the Interlink Foundation, says Northern inspectors have been more respectful
June 27, 2018 13:13Charedi schools in London believe the inspection service has adopted a “hostile” stance towards them in contrast to the respect shown by inspectors in the North of England, the government has been told.
Chaya Spitz, chief executive of the Hackney-based Interlink Foundation, was responding to a letter sent to Charedi representatives earlier this year by the minister responsible for faith schools, Lord Agnew.
The minister voiced concern about the failure of many independent Orthodox institutions in Hackney to meet independent school standards, suggesting they take a cue from Charedi schools in Manchester and Gateshead which were passing inspections.
Mrs Spitz said Orthodox leaders from Hackney had since visited schools in Manchester to see what they could learn.
She acknowledged that Manchester schools had made “greater advances” in teaching and retaining secular studies teachers than many schools in Stamford Hill. But she also contrasted regional differences.
“In Manchester, as well as in Gateshead, schools felt that it was possible to meet the standards within the framework of Orthodox Judaism,” Mrs Spitz wrote.
“Schools in Manchester felt that the local authority was supporting them to do that. Schools in Manchester and Gateshead reported that Ofsted inspectors had respect for their faith, and that inspections were carried out sensitively and appropriately within the school context.”
In London, the schools’ attitudes were “completely reversed. There is no relationship with Ofsted regionally and schools believe that Ofsted not only does not understand their faith and culture, but is actively hostile towards it.
“Not only is Ofsted not inspecting in a culturally aware way. Inspectors actively flagged sensitive issues at the outset of the inspection and forced confrontations to emerge.”
The most contentious issue for Charedi schools have been guidelines to independent schools over the teaching of “British values” of respect and tolerance. They state these should take into account groups protected under equality law, including those of same-sex orientation and transgender status.
Mrs Spitz said in Manchester, “schools and Ofsted have managed to negotiate faith-sensitive ways to teach about protected characteristics, and to prepare children for life in modern Britain.
“But in London, schools feel forced to choose between complying with their faith or complying with the standards.”
She proposed a co-ordinated approach among Charedi schools that would include development of a “sufficiently broad curriculum”, careers education and teaching the equality requirements of British values “within a Charedi context”.
Meanwhile, Charedi communities have set up an education representative group, Chinuch UK, to oppose changes in regulating independent schools which they claim would make life impossible for their schools.
