An expanded nine-justice panel of the Supreme Court on Wednesday 22 Elul rejected a petition seeking to compel chareidi schools to include secular studies. The petition was filed by a number of people including MK Elazar Stern, former Education Minister Prof. Amnon Rubinstein, Prof. Uriel Reichmann, and former chareidim who left the path of adherence to Torah and mitzvos. The court ruled against the petition 7-2.
The petition sought to compel 9th to 11th grades to include secular studies. These schools today receive about 40% less funding as a result of the exclusion of secular studies. The High Court ruled to permit the current status quo to remain, rejecting the petition.
Ruling against the petition were Court President Asher Grunis, Vice President Miriam Naor, Justices Amnon Rubinstein, Esther Hayut, Neil Hendel, Uzi Fogelman and Yitzchak Amit.
Retired Justice Edna Arbel who retired prior to the announced verdict continued on the case along with Justice Salim Jubran, both voting the existing situation should be overturned and the schools should be compelled to include secular subjects.
Justice Hendel explains he viewed the petition an attempt to coerce chareidi parents into educating their children contrary to their beliefs. He feels the petitions tried to eliminate the identity of a minority segment of the population by compelling them to change their education system. Hendel added the court traditional views itself responsible for defending the rights of minority groups.
Arbel feels that the Israeli curriculum is an essential component of society and every child must be given the opportunity to learn the subjects after completing elementary school. She feels the court must act to protect the rights of children by bringing this education to their schools. She cited the difficulties of trying to bridge the gap by learning the subjects when one is older, in addition to the practical matter of time and expense to achieve this.
Justice Arbel feels that in recent years there has been a marked increase in the number of chareidim studying secular subjects and entering the workplace, and providing this education to children provides the necessary tools to do just that.
The former education minister feels the verdict was strange and it contradicts the 1992 Basic Law guaranteeing everyone basic rights for the court is failing to protect children by permitting chareidi party askanim from making the education available to children in the chareidi sector.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
While I believe that those things should be taught. They actually enhance Torah learning. Most Gedolim in the past had this knowledge. It is also needed for the Kashrus industry.
That being said, why is there no applause? Oh, it doesn’t fit the Zionist, anti-Torah narrative!