Chief Rabbi: Our schools need radical interventions
Sir Ephraim Mirvis speaks out after schools report shows falling parental contributions, lack of Jewish knowledge among pupils and increasing difficulties in filling school places
The Chief Rabbi has warned Jewish schools require “radical and unprecedented” interventions as he launched his first-ever Schools Review assessing the state of the 33 schools under his religious authority.
The report outlines a litany of concerns spanning financial pressure, staffing levels and Jewish knowledge. “There is no value to this report if it is just a pat on our backs,” he said, while insisting the school system was not in crisis.
The voluntary contribution (VC) system to support the Jewish studies curriculum is “widely perceived to be broken”, with the proportion of contributions collected by schools “plummeting in recent years”. In London, the average VC request is £2,000, dropping to £600 elsewhere.
The report found that no school collected from more than 70 percent of parental contributions. In London, on average, 52 percent of parents contribute, dropping as low as 20 percent in communities outside the capital. Described as a “brutal situation”, the report found this fall coincided with rising operating costs and widespread cuts in Government support.
Eleven schools reported annual deficits exceeding £100,000, with the average deficit rising to £287,500 in London. Sixteen primary schools reported carrying a deficit averaging at £150,000 and four secondary schools reported a deficit, averaging out at £790,000.
Enrolment in mainstream primary schools has plateaued since 2017/18, with a slight decline in the last couple of years. Twenty United Synagogues schools reported being unable to fill their places with Jewish students and 13 noted that more than five percent of their student body was non-Jewish due to unmet capacity caused by changing demographics.
Schools are additionally perceived to “fall short” in fostering Jewish literacy, Hebrew communicative proficiency and religious commitment.
In the words of one observer cited in the report: “Some focus on spirituality but neglect Jewish knowledge, which results in kids coming out as ‘mensches’ but lacking real Jewish knowledge.”
On staffing, the report notes that most schools struggle to “attract and retain” qualified Jewish studies teachers – nearly a quarter have been in post for two years or less. This has resulted in hours of Jewish studies being cut back or responsibilities being assigned to unqualified staff members.
Nonetheless, the Chief Rabbi was adamant that there was “no crisis” and told Jewish News his Office would not enforce any impending reforms or forthcoming recommendations.
“The role of my Office relates to the religiosity of the school. We have no authority over the schools and we don’t seek to have any. As the religious authority, it is up to me as Chief Rabbi to set the tone of the schools – what are our religious standards, aspirations and beliefs. If we raise the bar, which we are certainly trying to do, we’ll be proud of that.
“I can think of no more important topic than the education of our schools. Our children are our future and it is through excellent Jewish education that we will have an excellent Jewish future.”
On the positive side, the Chief Rabbi argued Britain’s Jewish schools were the “envy of many diaspora communities, particularly those in north America”.
Despite the stark challenges, the report highlights “significant opportunities” with an anticipated surge in enrolment in state-funded Jewish schools following the introduction of VAT on private school fees, as well as parents feeling that Jewish schools provide “safer educational environments” for their children post-Oct 7.
The report notes that Jewish schools play a “critical role” in fostering a strong sense of Jewish pride among students. Highlights of informal experiences remain the Year 9 trips to Israel and Year 11 trips to Poland, undertaken by most secondary students.
Schools also continue to reflect a diverse subsection of the community. A higher proportion of Jewish youth from non-Haredi homes attend Jewish schools in the UK compared with nearly every other country – 40 percent in the UK versus just 19 percent in the United States.
Academically, Jewish schools also remain extremely competitive, with many ranked as outstanding by Ofsted. The report cites strong academic performance as a “significant factor” in their ongoing appeal and sustainability.
The Chief Rabbi’s School Review was prepared by Rosov Consulting and is based on interviews with school leaders. It is the first step in a review of schools commissioned by the Chief Rabbi a year ago.
Working groups will now seek to identify a common educational vision for schools, shared standards and frameworks – though they will stop short of producing a specific curriculum – and tackle systemic challenges, especially financial difficulties.
Ari Jesner, Chief Executive of the Office of the Chief Rabbi (OCR), added that the report “has given schools confidence to know that these are shared issues and that they don’t need to face them alone.”
Rabbi David Meyer, chief executive of PaJes, concluded: “It’s almost like having a downward escalator and the very best we can do is to stay where we are. What we are trying to do is to change the direction of the escalator.”
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