The Movement for Reform Judaism

Rabbi Tony Bayfield

Those of us who engaged in the discussion told the Secretary of State that there were other ways of promoting social cohesion than quotas.  Johnson took us up on this and has set up a Working Party with a view to producing a Memorandum of Understanding between Government and the providers of faith schools on the contribution of faith schools to the schools system.

Having originally uttered on the subject, I now find myself on the Working Party – along with several other Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs.

Judging from the last meeting, there is a very good chance that something positive will come out of the Working Party.  I was particularly interested to notice how much support I got for the point that the faith school seeks to root the child securely and knowledgably in their faith tradition so that the child is able to work with those of other faiths and none to build a just and cohesive society.  All members of the Working Party want faith and the faiths to contribute positively to social cohesion – defined dynamically as the building of institutions and social structures which embody the best of our values whilst respecting difference.  So we added the phrase ‘and to wider society’ to ‘contribution of faith schools to the schools system’.

The only caveat was a recognition that the more conservative in our faith traditions – particularly Jews and Muslims – are often amongst the poorest in society.  It would be good, for many reasons, to bring their schools within the State system and whilst moving faith schools and their contribution forward, we must remember the need to allay fears amongst the more conservative and deprived.

 Watch this space for further news.

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"amongst the poorest in society . . .it would be good . . ."
written by elkanp , March 21, 2007

so would it be right to include the charedi schools within the state system but not the Schools like Akiva and Clore Shalom? Is this an example of the mess one gets into when mixing religion and politics (even if you call the latter Tikkun olam)?