Charedi school in Manchester rated ‘inadequate’ for teaching in Yiddish
Yeshivah Ohr Torah School criticised for reportedly only using measures of achievement which have value in the Orthodox community
A Jewish private school for boys near Manchester in the United Kingdom was rated as inadequate by the education watchdog Ofsted, citing how pupils are not taught in English.
Yeshivah Ohr Torah School in Salford uses “measures of pupils’ achievements [that] only have value within their own religious community,” according to the report submitted this month to the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, the Manchester Evening News reported Tuesday.
The school, which was graded “good” as recently as 2014 and whose dozens of students are Charedi , was deemed “inadequate” in every inspection category this year, the newspaper reported.
All lessons at Yeshivah Ohr Torah are taught in Yiddish, the inspectors said. Only subjects relevant to religious studies are taught at the school, in violation of government regulations for schools.
The school’s failure to use any external exams means pupils finish year 11 with no recognised qualifications and “ill-prepared for their next steps,” the inspection report also says.
“Opportunities for pupils to develop their English and mathematical skills are poor,” the document reads.
The Manchester Evening News report said the school has failed to apply anti-bullying programs, which included sensitising pupils to gay classmates and members of different faiths.
Shaya Leitner, a spokesman for the school, told the newspaper: “The current rating reflects the new inspection framework that is much more rigid.” The institution’s curriculum, he added, “reflects the ethos of the school community it serves.”
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