Plans to register yeshivot and part-time religious supplementary schools have aroused concern among strictly Orthodox educators.
Prime Minister David Cameron highlighted the scheme last week as one of the government’s measures to counter religious extremism.
But the National Association of Orthodox Jewish Schools (Najos) has said it will voice its worries at a meeting of faith groups with the Department for Education next week.
In a letter to colleagues, Najos executive director Jonathan Rabson said that the organisation was “very concerned about the implications of these plans and how, once again, the Charedi schools and mosdos [institutions] are being included in the sweep of institutions that potentially ‘fill children’s hearts and heads with hate’.”
Registration would mean that yeshivot and Islamic madrassas would be subject to inspections from Ofsted.
But Najos has become increasingly unhappy at the way inspectors are assessing strictly Orthodox schools.
Mr Rabson said that Ofsted’s focus on the government’s British values agenda leads to the risk of it “failing all schools that do not respect the current dogma of actively promoting other religions and lifestyles”.
Najos was particularly disturbed by a recent critical report of a Chasidic girls school, Beis Malka in Stamford Hill, which was criticised for not teaching about sexual orientation and for providing limited career advice.
The inspection policy had become “an increasing threat that reaches into homes, families and faith communities”, he said.
He said that at next week’s meeting Najos would restate “our plea for schools to be allowed to practice our distinct faith and lifestyle whilst still maintaining deep respect for ‘difference’ and people of other faiths.”
