Starmer: Labour in power would be ‘more supportive of faith schools’
EXCLUSIVE: Keir Starmer spoke of his admiration of the 'strong bonds' created by faith schools in a new interview with Jewish News, as he visited a Jewish primary school in Hendon
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Keir Starmer has insisted Labour in power would be “even more supportive of faith schools” than the current government.
Speaking exclusively to Jewish News, after visiting a Jewish primary school in north London and answering questions from a Year 6 class,Keir Starmer faces toughest grilling yet .. from Year 6 Jewish primary school class the Labour leader added:”I think it’s good that we create strong bonds within schools, and therefore I wouldn’t tinker with the way that we run our faith schools.
“You don’t interfere with the model of a faith school, but you build a broader framework around it.
“I want to promote the idea of a family of schools where we are not pitting schools against each other, not faith schools versus other schools, and actually where schools are all supporting each other.”
Starmer promised what he claimed would be a “different mindset” to Labour’s approach, after being asked to concede that an area in which Rishi Sunak’s party could claim credit was through their strong commitment to faith schools.
Recent years have seen a continued rise in the number of parents in the mainstream Jewish community sending their children to faith schools in the state sector.
In a revealing interview, the Labour leader continued to firmly back the policy outlined by his education secretary Bridget Phillipson of ending private school tax-breaks.
Asked to provide reassurance to those parents in the Jewish community, and elsewhere in the country, who feared a Labour government would be hostile to the private sector, Starmer said:”We have got fantastic independent schools, I want them to thrive.”
The Labour leader also spoke of the need “ramp up” work done by government in cooperation with both the Community Security Trust (CST) and Lord John Mann, Rishi Sunak’s independent antisemitism adviser, on tackling the rise of anti-Jewish hate in schools, colleges and university establishments, particularly at the times of conflict between Israel and Palestinians in the Middle East.
“I think if you look at any of the statistics on antisemitic crime incidents and hate crime in particular the figures do go in the wrong direction and you get these spikes each time there’s an incident.
“It’s the duty of all of us to deal with that.”
Starmer had made the low-key visit to the Independent Jewish Day Primary Academy school in Hendon, a modern orthodox religious state-run establishment last Friday morning
It was at the end of a dramatic political week, dominated by the reinforced concrete scandal in school buildings, but also one that began with a significant reshuffle of his own shadow cabinet.
As he took questions from a surprisingly engaged Year 6 class of school kids, Starmer seemed to revel in the chance to share details of his wife’s family’s Jewish background, their plans for Rosh Hashanah, and his continued passion for Friday night dinner with his family which allowed him the opportunity to “shut out the rest of the world” temporarily.
Avoiding party political discourse in front of the school children – at one stage asking them to consider how difficult it was being prime minister during PMQs in the Commons having to take questions for half-an-hour – Starmer responded to a question from a teacher to state his determination that Labour “represents all communities, and champions all communities, including Jewish community.”
Later, in a room upstairs in the school, he sat down with Jewish News still enthused by his new 45 minute Q&A session with the schoolchildren.
“This is Years 6’s just coming to end of primary school so you get this sort of pure version of what they think of this period of reflection, and moving forward,” said Starmer, noting how the entire class had put their hands up when asked if they had done something they would try not to repeat next year as they looked ahead to the High Holy Days.
Picture by: Yui Mok/PA Wire/PA Images
“For them it was how they dealt with their family, being more respectful to parents, and their siblings. They had obviously thought quite a bit about what this means to them.”
The 10 year-olds also appeared to be thriving in the environment offered to them by one of the many successful Jewish primary and secondary schools across the country.
Could a possible Labour government under Starmer really provide the support and ethos necessary to allow such schools to continue to thrive?
“Yes, absolutely,” he replied, before claiming Labour “will be even more supportive of faith schools” than recent Tory government’s have been.
Expanding on his belief that currently schools were being pitted against each other in a sometimes detrimental way, Starmer said there needed to be “much more” done to see schools supporting one another.
“You do see that a lot already, independent schools supporting state schools, you see interfaith work going on, but I think there’s much more of that we can do,” he said.
“The concept has to be a family of schools working together rather than schools competing against each other.
“Certainly in Camden, we have the family of schools approach. A lot of interfaith as well, where the schools come together. We have a good interfaith forum where common issues are discussed across different schools, different communities.
“That works really well, if there’s any tension in any part of the community it’s taught through and support is put in.”
Starmer is aware of the criticism that even at some of the best faith schools, some parents can become concerned that their children lead the school life in an enclosed environment that does not always prepare them for contact with the complicated multicultural world outside.
But he insists:”Firstly, I think it’s good that we create strong bonds within schools, and therefore I wouldn’t tinker with the way that we run our faith schools.
“I am very encouraging of work across different schools, and of interfaith work so children have a broader experience, but that isn’t to the detriment of a faith school, you don’t interfere with the model of a faith school, but you build a broader framework around it.”
There is little doubt that Labour under Starmer’s leadership is a very different political entity to that of his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, shifting firmy to the centre ground ideologically, and attracting significant new support again from within the Jewish community.
But for some, Labour’s commitment to ending the tax break given to private schools, and using this extra revenue to secure around 6,500 new teachers in the state sector is an echo of the past – an ideological attack on those in society who have been successful enough to send their children to good schools.
There have been speculative reports that the policy will inevitably lead to school fees rising even further, and even the suggestion some private schools could close.
But where once, those wealthy enough in the community have often looked to send their children to private schools, the latest trend actually shows a significant move away from the independent sector, with Jewish faith schools increasingly popular.
Starmer himself refuses to back down on the pledge to make private schools pay VAT on fees, which would generate up to £1.5bn in additional revenue for the state sector, independent experts suggest.
“Ending the tax break is not aimed at independent schools on any ideological grounds, ” he insisted.
“It’s simply trying to answer the question of, if in your state schools you don’t have teachers in basic subjects like maths then are you going to do anything about it?
“And if so how are you going to pay for it? That tax break will be used to support the recruitment of 6,500 new teachers into state secondary schools in subjects like maths.
“Any parent, whether they send their child to an independent or a state school, would say every child deserves to be taught in the core subjects by a teacher who has got the relevant qualification.
“This is not intended as any reflection on independent schools. We want them to thrive and to work with them.
“It’s a way of ensuring we get enough good teachers into secondary schools to make sure every child has the chance to thrive.
“My ambition, because we will have five missions in government, and one of them is about education and skills.
“One day, if we get this right, it shouldn’t matter whether you go to independent school or state school, and that every child will have the same chance, whichever school they go to.
“That’s not to the detriment of independent schools, on the contrary, I want to make sure every child has the best chance.”
I was given a grilling by Year 6 pupils this morning on everything from fixing our NHS to how PMQs works.
The enthusiasm and potential of the next generation is inspiring. Labour will smash the class ceiling so their talent and ambition is matched with success. pic.twitter.com/ARUHkOkSE5
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 8, 2023
We discuss the continued issue of incidents of antisemitic hatred that crop up with alarming regularity in schools, colleges and universities, particularly when there is conflict in the Middle East involving Israel and the Palestinians.
Starmer praised the work done by both the CST, and the government’s own independent adviser on antisemitism Lord Mann on this concerning trend, confirming he has held regular meetings with both on the matter “on a fairly regular basis.”
The Labour leader says he believes more can be done to try to counter these spikes in antisemitic hate crime adding “it is the duty of us all to deal with this.”
Ahead of the next general election Starmer commits to “continuing to work with both the CST and with John” adding:”I don’t think there should be any reduction in that commitment.”
Asked if he would continue the independent antisemitism adviser role, first created under PM Theresa May, were Labour to win power, Starmer says:”We would not only continue, but strengthen those roles.
“But I say that without any complacency. We have got to win the general election first before we get the privilege of being in a position to do that extra work.”
And finally, Starmer’s Rosh Hashanah message to the community? “Reflect, review … and rejoice in next year.”
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