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| Will they be left behind? (Ha'aretz) |
Of the 39 Yeshivas that were to be investigated by the state via a lawsuit (by YAFFED) only 28 (3 high schools and 25 day schools) were actually schools. The other 11 were either shuttered, post high schools, or (strangely) in one case a butcher shop and in another a nutrition center! But 28 is still a substantial number.
Whether this was the case before they were sued or after, I am happy for the 80 off them that are apparently now at or near compliance. But what about the 20% that are still not in compliance? More about that later.
It should be noted that if they were not in compliance before and have now become so, then the best thing that happened to them was YAAFED. Were it not for them their lack of compliance would have continued being ignored by the state. And they would have continued producing under educated adults that in many cases are ill equipped to function in a world that demands a decent education to get a decent job. (That some of their products succeeded wildly in business - becoming multi millionaires does not help the vast majority of them that almost certainly have to rely on government financial assistance.)
Now it might be true that because of their typically very large families even if they had gotten a decent secular education and the kind of decent jobs that follow - they might have qualified for government assistance anyway. But still, the better the job the less aid they would need. In the meantime they would be doing their due diligence in getting the best jobs that their education qualified them for.
For the record, I tend to think that many of the schools found to be in compliance now, were not always that way. That’s because in my many interaction with Chasidim from certain types of Chasidic communities - basic English language skills are sorely missing. Listening to them talk reveals an appalling lack of basic grammar. Reading some of their editorial writings in various media reveals the same thing but includes the kind of spelling errors a 2nd or 3rd grader might make. Even if they are 2nd or 3rd generation Americans.
That makes it more than obvious that they did not receive anywhere near a substantially equivalent secular education. So I question whether the 80 percent of the schools that passed educational muster have always been like that. But at least that is the case now.
What about the 20% (5 schools - 2 elementary and 3 high schools) that did not pass muster. How big are these schools? How mainstream? Perhaps they are small schools that have even less than 20% of their student population. But it’s entirely possible that they are large schools and have a far larger percentage than 20% ! Either way some children are losing out. Maybe a lot of children. That information is missing from the report.
How bad are those schools: From the Yated:
Of the three high schools, one did not have any secular studies while another was not found by inspectors to have textbooks though the school said it teaches most of the subjects through its Judaic studies. The third, the department said, needs an interpreter for them to return.
I don’t want to spoil the party. But it might be premature for any kind of celebration about compliance suggested by the Yated. It is also no secret that the very Charedi Yated is not an unbiased observer. And I reject any notion of bias suggested by the story’s headline for raising these questions. My only bias is in favor of getting a decent education for all Jewish children.
The important thing for me is not about casting blame. It is about making sure that no child is left behind because of a policy that refuses to recognize the value of a secular curriculum... and thereby puts stumbling blocks before all of their children as they become adults. As I always say, Kol Yisroel Areivim Zeh BaZeh. Anyone that cares about their fellow Jew - should not rest until this situation is rectified.