Humanists UK has expressed alarm about a state-funded
Charedi Jewish school which is encouraging mass withdrawal of
pupils from relationships and sex education (RSE) so it does not
have to teach the subject when it becomes statutory in September
2020.
The Head Teacher of Lubavitch Senior Girls School in
Stamford Hill, London, sent parents a withdrawal
form in an email outlining ‘the problem’ of statutory
RSE – which the school does not currently teach – explicitly
requesting them to exercise their right to withdraw to ‘prevent
[RSE] being taught’.
The email states that the school hopes to help its pupils
to ‘grow up as true Bnos Yisroel’ (‘daughters of Israel’ or ‘good
religious girls’). It includes a copy of the school’s RSE policy,
which the Head Teacher claims has been created by community
leaders who are ‘experts in the Government regulations’. The
email also states, ‘The problem is the Government is making this
subject mandatory in September 2020. However, parents have the
right to opt out… This subject is not currently taught in school.
Please exercise your right to prevent [RSE] being taught by
responding to this email and saying that you do not want your
daughters to receive lessons in RSE.’
According to new Department for Education
guidance, when a parent requests to withdraw their child from
compulsory RSE, ‘good practice is likely to include discussing
with parents the benefits of receiving this important education
and any detrimental effects that withdrawal might have on the
child.’
In 2014 Yesodey Hatorah, another Charedi girls’ school
located in Hackney, told Humanists
UK that it did not teach sex education ‘because in
practice all parents will exercise their statutory right to
withdraw their children from sex education’, despite the
unlawfulness of this position in a state-maintained school. But
Lubavitch is the first school to be seen actively encouraging
parents to withdraw with respect to the new, beefed up,
compulsory curriculum subject.
The move to encourage mass parental withdrawal of pupils
from RSE follows recent news that independent Charedi schools
were considering a strategy of ‘civil disobedience’to
avoid teaching certain aspects of RSE and LGBT-inclusive
lessons.
Humanists UK Education Campaigns Manager Dr Ruth
Wareham said, ‘It is extremely worrying that a
school is encouraging parents to withdraw their children from
these vital lessons so they can completely avoid the duty to
provide objective, factually accurate RSE to all pupils. We
warned the Government that schools would try to use this loophole
to remove RSE from the curriculum and, unless the Department for
Education takes urgent action to prevent schools from placing
undue influence on parents to say they do not want this education
for their children, we worry that many other schools may take the
same approach as Lubavitch.
Commenting specifically on the right to withdraw,
Dr Wareham went on: ‘The law on withdrawal denies those
pupils who are least likely to encounter RSE anywhere else access
to facts which are vital if they are to grow up happy, healthy,
and safe. However, while it is bad enough when parents aren’t
prepared to give their children access to knowledge about healthy
sexual relationships, it is altogether worse when schools
conspire to keep their pupils ignorant.’
NOTES:
For further comment or information, please contact
Humanists UK press manager Casey-Ann Seaniger at casey@humanism.org.uk or
phone 020 7324 3078 or 07393 344293.
To read the message in full, visit https://humanism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Lubavitch-RSE-Withdrawal-Email-1.jpg and https://humanism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Lubavitch-RSE-Withdrawal-Email-2.jpg
To see the withdrawal form and the school’s accompanying
RSE policy, visit https://humanism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Lubavitch-School-Policy-on-Relationships-and-Sex-Education.pdf
To read our recent news item on the steps Charedi schools
are considering to avoid teaching LGBT inclusive RSE
visit https://humanism.org.uk/2019/06/13/charedi-jewish-schools-advised-to-consider-civil-disobedience-to-avoid-teaching-lgbt-inclusive-lessons/
For more information on our work on relationships and
sex education, visit https://humanism.org.uk/campaigns/schools-and-education/school-curriculum/pshe-and-sex-and-relationships-education
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of
non-religious people. Powered by over 85,000 members and
supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to
create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness
prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and
support services benefitting over a million people every year and
our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human
rights, and equal treatment for all.
