UK school banned from taking new students until teaching about LGBT
May 9, 2016 - A Hasidic Jewish school in Stamford Hill (UK) has been banned from admitting new pupils by the British school inspectorate , after it refused to teach students about LGBT issues and covered up images of women wearing short sleeves.
Falling below standards
After inspection by Ofsted, the British school inspectorate, the school was told in September that it could not take on any more children after falling below standards. The standards involved refer to what Osted calls "secular education". This includes teaching about social standards outside the Hasidic community and tolerance towards them.
The decision by Ofsted to qualify a lack of education about current societal realities as "falling below quality education standards" is a relatively new perspective that changes the way education systems look at discrimination. Rather than discrimination being seen as a terrible thing but not relevant to education priorities, it is now seen as integral to priorities of the education system. This view has been promoted by GALE since its beginning.
Lost appeal
The board of the school, the Beis Aharon Trust launched an appeal against the decision in the beginning of May. The school argued that same-sex relationships and gender reassignment were forbidden in the Jewish faith, and therefore could not be taught.
However, the appeal was rejected by the Care Standards tribunal. The tribunal deemed the restriction was "proportionate and necessary” until the school furthered altered its approach. Judge Hugh Brayne said this includes teaching pupils about same-sex relationships and gender reassignment. The judge added that failure to teach students about LGBT issues “prevents the school from encouraging respect for people who have such characteristics”.
Sources: Pink News UK, The Jewish Chronicle