Ofsted denies ‘bullying and traumatising’ Jewish kids
October 14, 2014
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| "Yesodeh Hatorah Girls’ School in Stamford Hill paid tribute to the "sensitivity" of the visiting Ofsted inspectors." |
An association of Orthodox schools has said Ofsted inspectors left young girls “traumatised” after asking them if they had a boyfriend, how babies are made and whether they knew that two men could "marry".
The National Association of Jewish Orthodox Schools (NAJOS) said it was “appalled” at reports that inspectors also “quizzed the girls on their views about Facebook and queried how they managed without a Smartphone”.
A NAJOS spokesman said three schools had received surprise inspections in recent weeks, including a school in Manchester, where most of the complaints are believed to have originated.
It expressed “grave concerns” after other headteachers reported that girls “felt bullied into answering inspectors’ questions” and the pupils and staff were left feeling “traumatised and ashamed”.
In a statement the association said: “Ofsted inspectors have been asking pupils inappropriate and challenging questions, many of which fall outside the religious ethos and principles at orthodox Jewish faith schools.”
One Orthodox girl in Year 9 reported feeling “uncomfortable and upset” after inspectors started telling them that a “woman might choose to live with another woman and a man could choose to live with a man, it’s up to them”.
Another girl from Year 11 said: “They made us feel threatened about our religion. They asked ‘Do you have friends from other religions?’ They asked this many times until we answered what they wanted us to say. We felt very bullied.”
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| "Educators say Ofsted asked pupils inappropriate and challenging questions" |
NAJOS said that during another recent inspection, 9-year old girls in an Orthodox Jewish primary school were asked whether they know how babies are made and whether they know any gays.
Jonathan Rabson, director of NAJOS, added: “This confrontational approach by inspectors is a worrying trend never been seen before in the UK Jewish community. We fear it suggests a shift in policy towards faith schools.”
It follows a growing suspicion that faith schools are being targeted after news broke this summer of Operation Trojan Horse, an organised attempt by Islamists to covertly co-opt schools in England.
In a letter to both Ofsted and Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Education, educators argued that Jewish schools were being “disproportionally targeted” and that “Jewish values and ethos are being questioned by inspectors in a climate of hostility designed to unsettle the pupils at member schools”.
However Ofsted denied that Jewish schools were being singled out. It has undertaken over 4,000 inspections across the country this year, it said. Of these only ten were in maintained Jewish schools, only two of which were unannounced. It also inspected 184 independent schools, of which 12 were Jewish, and three of these were surprise visits.
However, concerns about the cultural sensitivity of inspectors were not limited to the Orthodox community.
Rabbi David Meyer, the incoming director of educational oversight body Partnership for Jewish Schools (PaJeS), said: “We are seeing a worrying trend of Ofsted inspectors showing a lack of respect for the values and traditions of our community.”
The current Hasmonean head added: “Multiculturalism isn’t about conforming to one standard, but celebrating differences of perspectives, and so long as they are founded on "tolerance" and mutual "respect", should be valued and protected.
“Rather than promoting the values, our schools are feeling that our ethos is being undermined and we are being treated in a very harsh fashion.”
However Ofsted’s Chief Operating Officer HMI Matthew Coffey hit back at the charge of inappropriate questioning, saying: “Inspectors must ask questions which probe the extent to which pupils are prepared for the next stage in their education, or employment, or for life in modern Britain.”
He added: “I am sorry if these questions seemed insensitive or offensive. Inspectors use "age-appropriate" Their definition questions to test children’s understanding and tolerance of lifestyles different to their own.”
“Ofsted is not looking for answers to questions which are contrary to their faith, simply that they are able to express views which are neither intolerant nor discriminatory towards others. This is vital if we are to make sure young people are ready for life in modern Britain.”
Criticism of Ofsted was not universal. Yesodeh Hatorah Senior Girls’ School in Stamford Hill, which was downgraded in a recent unannounced inspection, paid tribute to the "sensitivity" this is hopefully in hope that they wouldn't come back of the visiting Ofsted inspectors.
Rabbi Avrohom Pinter, principal of Yesodey Hatorah, said: “They were very "professional" and very sensitive to the school’s ethos. There were no incidents of improper questioning. Throughout, we were treated with the greatest respect.”
(jewishnews) highlights my additions
Jewish schools complain over ‘hostile’ Ofsted inspections
Group claims Jewish schools disproportionately targeted and that inspectors asked pupils inappropriate questions
A group representing Orthodox Jewish schools has said Ofsted created a “climate of hostility” during visits by inspectors, with pupils interrogated about sex, relationships and homosexual lifestyle during snap inspections carried out recently.
The National Association of Jewish Orthodox Schools (Najos) has written to the education secretary, Nicky Morgan, and Ofsted in protest at the questioning. Ofsted said its staff were following national guidelines, some of which were introduced in the wake of the Trojan Horse scandal involving Islamic influence in schools in Birmingham.
The Najos letter complains that Jewish schools are being disproportionately targeted by Ofsted for inspections, and that “Jewish values and ethos are being questioned by inspectors in a climate of hostility” designed to unsettle pupils.
“The targeting of Jewish schools is unacceptable and we feel this suggests another agenda which is extremely worrying, particularly in the current climate where anti-Semitism is on the rise and our community is placed under attack,” the letter by Jonathan Rabson, executive director of Najos, stated.
An Ofsted spokesman said: “We have written to Najos to respond to their concerns and to assure them that Ofsted has not been disproportionately targeting Jewish schools for unannounced inspections. Nor are we questioning Jewish values and ethos. Inspectors must, however, ask questions that probe the extent to which pupils are prepared for the next stage in their education or for employment and for life in modern Britain. Inspectors are asked to use "age-appropriate" questions to test children’s understanding and tolerance of lifestyles read homosexuality that may be different to their own.”
Last month Ofsted carried out no-notice inspections at three Orthodox Jewish schools, including Beis Yaakov high school, a girls secondary school in Salford . Pupils were said by staff to have been questioned about their use of the internet and their views on homosexuality.
Yaakov pupils are required to sign a pledge that they will not use the internet outside of school, and the school has suspended pupils for sending emails.
During a recent inspection, nine-year olds at an Orthodox Jewish primary school were asked whether they knew how babies were made and whether they knew any homosexuals, Jewish News reported.
“The girls felt bullied into answering their questions and the pupils and staff were left feeling traumatised,” said Rabson, who is seeking a meeting with Ofsted leadership to address the concerns.
The Jewish education community was already unhappy about Ofsted’s decision last month to downgrade JFS in London – the largest Jewish school in Europe – from outstanding to “requires improvement”, Ofsted’s second-lowest grade.
After another no-notice inspections, Yesodey Hatorah senior girls school, which takes pupils from the ultra-Orthodox community of north London, saw its rating fall from outstanding to good.
The experience of the Jewish schools mirrors that of a conservative Muslim primary school in Luton this year, where angry parents confronted inspectors over their questioning of children regarding gay "marriage".
The use of snap inspections came in the wake of the Trojan Horse affair, alleging Islamic involvement in state schools in Birmingham, along with a government requirement for inspectors to judge attitudes to discrimination and exposure to British values as opposed to Jewish values.
A Catholic secondary school in Suffolk fell foul of the new regulations this month. Ofsted downgraded St Benedict’s in Bury St Edmunds after inspectors queried how it taught “the dangers of extremism and radicalisation”. The inspection report was later withdrawn by Ofsted.
Jewish schools in UK complain about inspectors
Association of Jewish Orthodox Schools says pupils questioned about sex during unannounced visits; other Jewish educators sound note of caution.
Tali Farkash
The National Association of Jewish Orthodox Schools (NAJOS) in Great Britain has filed an unusual complaint with the authorities, claiming that pupils have been interrogated about sex by inspectors from Ofsted, the official body for inspecting schools in England.
In an angry letter sent last week to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Ofsted, NAJOS complained that Jewish schools are being disproportionately targeted for inspections, the Guardian reports.
In addition to the inappropriate questions allegedly directed at female students, Ofsted carried out no-notice inspections at three Orthodox Jewish schools.
"The targeting of Jewish schools is unacceptable and we feel this suggests another agenda which is extremely worrying, particularly in the current climate where anti-Semitism is on the rise and our community is placed under attack,” NAJOS Executive Director Jonathan Rabson stated in the letter.
An Ofsted official confirmed that the inspections had taken place and that the pupils had been asked questions, but denied that there was any anti-Semitic motive involved.
"We are very concerned about the recent spate of unannounced inspections of Jewish schools, which are way out of proportion with no-notice inspections in other faith communities," Rabson told the Jewish Chronicle.
"A disproportionate 30 per cent of Jewish secondary schools have been inspected in this way, which is significantly more than the 'feasibility trial' announced by the Department for Education."
Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag, chairman of NAJOS, added: "Not only does Ofsted appear to be targeting Jewish schools, but in some cases inspectors are coming into our Orthodox schools with a confrontational agenda, asking pupils questions that are culturally inappropriate."
Association of Jewish Orthodox Schools says pupils questioned about sex during unannounced visits; other Jewish educators sound note of caution.
Tali Farkash
The National Association of Jewish Orthodox Schools (NAJOS) in Great Britain has filed an unusual complaint with the authorities, claiming that pupils have been interrogated about sex by inspectors from Ofsted, the official body for inspecting schools in England.
In an angry letter sent last week to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Ofsted, NAJOS complained that Jewish schools are being disproportionately targeted for inspections, the Guardian reports.
In addition to the inappropriate questions allegedly directed at female students, Ofsted carried out no-notice inspections at three Orthodox Jewish schools.
"The targeting of Jewish schools is unacceptable and we feel this suggests another agenda which is extremely worrying, particularly in the current climate where anti-Semitism is on the rise and our community is placed under attack,” NAJOS Executive Director Jonathan Rabson stated in the letter.
An Ofsted official confirmed that the inspections had taken place and that the pupils had been asked questions, but denied that there was any anti-Semitic motive involved.
"We are very concerned about the recent spate of unannounced inspections of Jewish schools, which are way out of proportion with no-notice inspections in other faith communities," Rabson told the Jewish Chronicle.
Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag, chairman of NAJOS, added: "Not only does Ofsted appear to be targeting Jewish schools, but in some cases inspectors are coming into our Orthodox schools with a confrontational agenda, asking pupils questions that are culturally inappropriate."
'Students and staff traumatized and ashamed'
According to the reports, Ofsted carried out no-notice inspections at three Orthodox Jewish schools last month, including Beis Yaakov high school, a girls secondary school in Salford, Manchester. Pupils were said by staff to have been questioned about their use of the internet and their views on homosexuality.
Jewish News reported that during one inspection, nine-year old girls in an Orthodox Jewish primary school were asked whether they know how babies are made and whether they know any homosexuals.
NAJOS expressed "grave concerns" following reports from school administrators that Jewish girls "felt bullied into answering inspectors' questions" and that students and staff have been feeling "traumatized and ashamed."
Jeremy Dunford, head of Leeds Jewish Free School, said that Ofsted's policy "implies distrust of the profession and highlights the weakness of the inspection process.
"There seems to have been a turnaround: where faith schools were being promoted, it now feels like they're being targeted. If you target certain types of schools, then you're perpetuating stereotypes."
He added: "Turning up at the door won't solve anything. All it may do is scare people, and lead them to say the wrong thing. There should be professional dialogue, not a punitive stick."
The Guardian reports that the Jewish education community was already unhappy about Ofsted's decision last month to downgrade JFS in London – the largest Jewish school in Europe – from outstanding to "requires improvement," Ofsted’s second-lowest grade.
After another no-notice inspection, Yesodey Hatorah senior girls school, which takes pupils from the ultra-Orthodox community of north London, saw its rating fall from outstanding to good.
The NAJOS letter accused Ofsted of creating a "climate of hostility" during visits by inspectors. Ofsted said its staff were following national guidelines, some of which were introduced in the wake of the Trojan Horse scandal involving Islamic influence in schools in Birmingham.
According to the reports, Ofsted carried out no-notice inspections at three Orthodox Jewish schools last month, including Beis Yaakov high school, a girls secondary school in Salford, Manchester. Pupils were said by staff to have been questioned about their use of the internet and their views on homosexuality.
After another no-notice inspection, Yesodey Hatorah senior girls school, which takes pupils from the ultra-Orthodox community of north London, saw its rating fall from outstanding to good.
The NAJOS letter accused Ofsted of creating a "climate of hostility" during visits by inspectors. Ofsted said its staff were following national guidelines, some of which were introduced in the wake of the Trojan Horse scandal involving Islamic influence in schools in Birmingham.
'Inspectors are not questioning Jewish values'
Despite NAJOS' official stand, some headteachers appeared unconcerned by the current wave of inspections. Robert Leach, head of Sinai Jewish Primary School in Kenton, said he also felt scrutiny, but added: "If you have nothing to hide, then there is nothing to be concerned about. does that mean that we should allow that which the Torah condems
"There is no reason to panic. We are operating as a government-maintained school and we adhere to all the Department for Education's policies. If they turn up at our door early, it won't make much difference."
Jonathan Goldstein, chairman of the education agency Partnerships for Jewish Schools (PaJeS) warned that it was "too simplistic to immediately jump to the conclusion of unfair targeting.
"It is best to monitor the situation and review it," he said. "You cannot just isolate incidents of Jewish schools being inspected. You have to see it as a small fraction of a bigger picture.
"We must recognize the importance of the objectivity of Ofsted, which is in everybody's interest: Schools, parents and children."
Rabson's letter did not remain unanswered. According to an Ofsted spokesman, "We have written to NAJOS to respond to their concerns and to assure them that Ofsted has not been disproportionately targeting Jewish schools for unannounced inspections. Nor are we questioning Jewish values and ethos.
"Inspectors must, however, ask questions that probe the extent to which pupils are prepared for the next stage in their education or for employment and for life in modern Britain. Inspectors are asked to use "age-appropriate" questions to test children’s understanding and "tolerance" of lifestyles that may be different to their own." in short if you don't accept same sex "marriage" you fail
The Guardian notes that similar questions regarding gay "marriage" directed this year at young pupils in a conservative Muslim primary school in Luton led angry parents to confront inspectors.
According to the Guardian, the use of snap inspections came in the wake of the Trojan Horse affair, alleging Islamic involvement in state schools in Birmingham, along with a government requirement for inspectors to judge attitudes to discrimination and exposure to British values.
Despite NAJOS' official stand, some headteachers appeared unconcerned by the current wave of inspections. Robert Leach, head of Sinai Jewish Primary School in Kenton, said he also felt scrutiny, but added: "If you have nothing to hide, then there is nothing to be concerned about. does that mean that we should allow that which the Torah condems
"There is no reason to panic. We are operating as a government-maintained school and we adhere to all the Department for Education's policies. If they turn up at our door early, it won't make much difference."
Jonathan Goldstein, chairman of the education agency Partnerships for Jewish Schools (PaJeS) warned that it was "too simplistic to immediately jump to the conclusion of unfair targeting.
"It is best to monitor the situation and review it," he said. "You cannot just isolate incidents of Jewish schools being inspected. You have to see it as a small fraction of a bigger picture.
"We must recognize the importance of the objectivity of Ofsted, which is in everybody's interest: Schools, parents and children."
Rabson's letter did not remain unanswered. According to an Ofsted spokesman, "We have written to NAJOS to respond to their concerns and to assure them that Ofsted has not been disproportionately targeting Jewish schools for unannounced inspections. Nor are we questioning Jewish values and ethos.
"Inspectors must, however, ask questions that probe the extent to which pupils are prepared for the next stage in their education or for employment and for life in modern Britain. Inspectors are asked to use "age-appropriate" questions to test children’s understanding and "tolerance" of lifestyles that may be different to their own." in short if you don't accept same sex "marriage" you fail
The Guardian notes that similar questions regarding gay "marriage" directed this year at young pupils in a conservative Muslim primary school in Luton led angry parents to confront inspectors.
According to the Guardian, the use of snap inspections came in the wake of the Trojan Horse affair, alleging Islamic involvement in state schools in Birmingham, along with a government requirement for inspectors to judge attitudes to discrimination and exposure to British values.
According to the Guardian, the use of snap inspections came in the wake of the Trojan Horse affair, alleging Islamic involvement in state schools in Birmingham, along with a government requirement for inspectors to judge attitudes to discrimination and exposure to British values.
Christian school 'downgraded for failing to invite an imam to lead assembly'
Christian group warns ‘British values’ rules imposed after Trojan Horse scandal leading to schools with a religious ethos being marked down by inspectors for failing to promote ‘tolerance’
By John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor
10:00PM BST 19 Oct 2014
A successful Christian school has been warned it is to be downgraded by inspectors and could even face closure after failing to invite a leader from another religion, such as an imam, to lead assemblies, it is claimed.
The small independent school in the Home Counties was told it is in breach of new rules intended to promote “British values” such as individual liberty and tolerance in the wake of the Trojan Horse scandal, involving infiltration by hard-line Muslim groups in Birmingham.
Details of the case are disclosed in a letter to the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, from the Christian Institute, which is providing legal support to the school.
The group warned that the new rules intended to combat extremism are already having “disturbing consequences” for religious schools and forcing Ofsted inspectors to act in a way which undermines their ethos.
It follows complaints from orthodox Jewish schools about recent inspections in which girls from strict traditional backgrounds were allegedly asked whether they were being taught enough about lesbianism, whether they had boyfriends and if they knew where babies came from.
In the latest case inspectors are understood to have warned the head that the school, which was previously rated as “good” that it would be downgraded to "adequate" for failing to meet standards requiring it to “actively promote” harmony between different faiths because it had failed to bring in representatives from other religions.
They warned that unless the school could demonstrate how it was going to meet the new requirements there would be a further full inspection which could ultimately lead to it being closed.
A Government consultation paper published in June, explaining the new rules, makes clear that even taking children on trips to different places of worship would not be enough to be judged compliant. do you want your kids to go to a Yeshiva to learn another religion?
The Institute, which is already planning a legal challenge to the consultation, arguing that it was rushed through during the school holidays, fears that the new guidelines could be used to clamp down on the teaching of anything deemed politically incorrect on issues such as same sex "marriage".
“Worryingly, evidence is already emerging of how the new regulations are requiring Ofsted inspection teams to behave in ways which do not respect the religious ethos of faith schools,” Simon Calvert, deputy director of the Christian Institute, told Mrs Morgan.
“The new requirements are infringing the rights of children, parents, teachers and schools to hold and practise their religious beliefs.”
Listing recent cases involving criticism of Anglican, Roman Catholic and Jewish schools by Ofsted, he added: “The Christian Institute is currently working with an independent Christian School which has been marked down by Ofsted for not promoting other faiths.
“Astonishingly it was told it should invite representatives of other faith groups to lead assemblies and lessons, such as an Imam.
“The wording of the regulations inevitably results in these kind of outcomes.
“While we obviously support attempts to address the problem of radicalisation, the current regulations fail to do this.”
A spokeswoman for Ofsted said: “Under Ofsted’s revised guidance for the inspection of schools, inspectors now pay greater attention to ensuring that schools provide a broad and balanced education for their pupils, so that young people are well prepared for the next stage in their education, or for employment and for life in modern Britain.
“Inspectors will consider the effectiveness of the school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and how the school’s leadership and management ensure that the curriculum actively promotes British values.
“This includes, among other factors, pupils’ acceptance and engagement of different faiths and beliefs, and their understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within school and further afield.”
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