Ultra-Orthodox to learn core subjects?

Yesterday, the Ministerial Committee approved a law that allows ultra-Orthodox institutions to receive funding even without teaching compulsory core subjects (English, mathematics and science). We thought this would be a good opportunity to tell you about a pilot project we implemented this year at Bakehila – The Haredi Students' English Project.

In today's globalized world, English is one of the basic tools needed in order to communicate and develop oneself. But many ultra-Orthodox students in Jerusalem do not study it. Therefore Bakehila, in partnership with the Jerusalem Foundation, launched a project to enable ultra-Orthodox students in the fifth and sixth grades, to learn basic English reading and writing skills, accompanied by a fully qualified team of ultra-Orthodox staff.

This past year, a total of 25 English-learning groups opened in various Jerusalem neighborhoods and more than 200 students have since acquired basic skills in English. Some of them have even registered for the advanced level next year.

We discovered that, despite the stigmas about the ultra-Orthodox community, the general public want to be able to give their children the skills and development needed for life, without giving up the values of ultra-Orthodox society. We believe that in the next school year we will be able to reach even more students, and even expand to additional subjects.

The Jerusalem Post reports:

"The Knesset Education, Sports and Culture Committee approved a bill for a second and third (final) reading in the Knesset calling to cancel core curriculum requirements in ultra-Orthodox schools as a prerequisite for government funding. "The bill aims to repeal the law passed during the previous government by Yesh Atid and then-education minister Shai Piron, which conditioned the budget received by ultra-Orthodox schools on the teaching of at least 11 hours per week of English, math and science, dubbed the core curriculum..."

Read more here.