Government to crackdown on unregistered Jewish schools
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi will give Ofsted greater powers to tackle the growing number of illegal institutions.
Unregistered Jewish schools face unannounced Ofsted inspections under new government plans.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has also warned of lifetime bans for those found guilty by magistrates of running illegal institutions that fail to meet basic national standards.
Latest figures show Ofsted has identified at least 170 illegal schools in the UK – some run by strictly-Orthodox community leaders who prioritise male education and fail to adhere to the national curriculum in subjects such as history and sex education.
Zahawi said: “We will be introducing new legislation requiring councils to maintain a register of children who are not in school… alongside stronger powers for Ofsted to crackdown on illegal schools and ensure criminals who are running them face prosecution. My mission is to make sure each and every child has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.”
Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman said reforms are necessary to curb the rise in such schools, which she said fail to equip children with British values and numeracy and literacy skills leaving youngsters “segregated” from mainstream society.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
