Speaking with Kol Chai Radio host Moti Lavi, MK Yaakov Asher expressed pleasure of the cabinet approving an amendment to the nation’s education law, removing the requirement for chareidi schools to teach math, English and other secular subjects in schools beginning in 2018.
He explained that this and other “gezeiros” implemented in the previous administration by Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid have been undone and he is pleased with this.
Asher explains that in line with the instructions of gedolei yisrael, the government must not be permitted to dictate anything pertaining to the education in chareidi schools, including the slightest influence whatsoever.
Kol Chai:
Please, explain what is wrong with the chareidi children learning these basic skills?
Asher:
This was a matter of undoing what Lapid did, since he compelled them to learn this at the expense of limudei kodesh. If I have to explain this on a chareidi station it is sad. As I told Aryeh Golan of Reshet Bet Radio earlier, he does not understand what we believe in and because no one can and will dictate what we learn and our hashkafa, including talmidei torah, yeshivos and even in kollel. This is the issue.
Kol Chai:
So it is prohibited for the children to learn English and math? After all, some Chinuch Atzmai and Shas schools teach secular subjects.
Asher:
This is what gedolim have instructed, not to permit any government involvement in our hashkafa whatsoever. I explained already in the boy’s schools we go in line with those mosdos and there are some that include secular subjects as is the case in girl’s schools.
I don’t need Lapid or Piron – we will decide the education of our own children without state involvement.
Kol Chai:
In essence, you do not have a real response and how can you expect Lapid and other to understand your point? What is wrong with teaching math and English?
Asher:
This is what gedolei torah have instructed and this is the response.
Kol Chai:
By the way, I tried speaking with ministers who supported this, eliminating the secular subjects and they refuse to speak to the media. Can you explain why?
Asher:
Perhaps because a chareidi station is questioning the hashkafa of gedolei yisrael.
Kol Chai:
Bottom line is that secular subjects are taught in some cheiders from Chinuch Atzmai and Shas. Please explain why this is?
Asher:
Each school goes according to its rav and the poskim they follow. The message is the state will not dictate what is taught to our children and that is the entire point.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
In essence, they don’t have any response and in essence they’re banishing an entire generation to poverty and resentment and wholesale theft ( Chazal said that not me).
If these schools take money from the government certainly the government can dictate and absolutely should.
in Israel the yeshivos are fighting tooth and nail to keep secular studies out of the classroom.
But here in America the opposite is true.
Can anyone explain this discrepancy ?
I disagree with the opinions above. I am a Univeristy educated frum yid, with a 4 year degree.
I can tell you that given the chance, most Chardeim would be fine in the workforce without the core skills. The problem is that lapid and his ilk have demonized them so much that no one wants to hire them.
Employers who hire frum Charedim in Eretz Tzvi have been more than happy with their work ethic, and lack of partying and other distractions which keep them out of office.
The problem is forcing people to learn , and then punishing them for not( Lapid). How does it make sense to deny Charedi children summer camp funding, because they didn’t take core subjects.
you get more bees with honey….
To MezritchaMaggid: “They” indeed have a response and that is that the state shall not dictate what should be taught in our schools, even if it is an acceptable subject. What is taught in our schools is not the former govt’s target. The state wanted control over our curriculum. That shall never be. And yes, we take some money from the state for our schools. I pay taxes and I want some of my taxes going into things that are important to me.
It’s much easier to control ignorant people than educated people. This is about power and control nothing else. Helps win elections.
To kitov: I recall a Tshuva in Igros Moshe (from decades ago) in which Rav Moshe says that the Torah-teaching curriculum of prior-generations (Europe), i.e., limuday Kodesh and no (or little) secular studies, is the default lechatchila way to teach in Torah schools. However, due to the laws in america, Rav Moshe said that it is muttar to teach secular studies. To me this means that the curriculum today in Chareidi schools in Israel (i.e., minimum secular studies) is the lechatchila, and the curriculum in america (which includes more secular studies than in Israel), is the bidieved (or shass hadchak).
@Define, I am a hiring manager in the tech industry in the US and I will happily tell you that no matter how many Charedim I try and hire, the lack of basic skills and ongoing education is an incredible impediment to success. This is not how it was when I started 25 years ago. There has been an steep drop in basic skills and it is very very hard to catch up. But don’t worry, even the uneducated can become Chavrei Kinesset so there is hope. @ChaimAharon, decades ago there was a lot of work in light manufacturing, diamonds etc. Today this work is over seas and one really needs to be a knowledge worker in order to make the kind of many one needs to be a Frum Yid with today’s insane cost of living.