Faith school where women are banned from wearing trousers becomes state funded

[ArabellaSaurus]

https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2025/09/faith-school-which-bans-women-wearing-trousers-becomes-state-funded

'The National Secular Society has expressed alarm that a London faith school which bans women from wearing trousers and penalises families who attend non-kosher restaurants will now be funded by the state.
Nancy Reuben Primary School re-opened as a voluntary aided (VA) state school this month, after operating as an independent school for 26 years. Its decision to join the state sector follows the Government's move to charge VAT on independent school fees.'

'Women may not wear trousers, mini skirts, shorts, low necklines or sleeveless tops
The school's dress code for parents and visitors says men "must have their head covered at all times" and women "must wear skirts of knee length (a maximum of 2" above is acceptable)". It says trousers "may not be worn" by women.
Additionally, women must cover their underarms and may not wear cap sleeves. Women may not wear clothes with necklines lower than "4 fingers from the collar bone" either "in front or back of the garment".
Trousers are permitted for aupairs and nannies but they may not wear mini skirts, shorts, plunging necklines or sleeveless tops.'

An employment tribunal would have a field day with this one thigh to be honest most of the rules are simply codifying appropriate dress for teachers (I don’t think strappy tops and mini skirts are professional unless your profession is model) however the trousers one is the outlier, that’s wrong. As a state funded religious school they are obliged to accept students of other faiths too so not sure how they can enforce parental standards

It's very hard as there is lots of genuine anti Semitism and so Jews find it harder to come forward about bad experiences as Hasidics. But all of this stuff shouldn't be ignored, investigating a genuine wrong is NOT anti Semitic or Islamophobic or anti-Christian, and accusations that is are harmful.

Hm. Only one solution: Make the UK a laicist state. Then you can enforce secular rule in all state organisations, buildings, etc.
And no, I am not joking. I think it will be difficult to enforce religion-free schooling in a state where the head of state is also the head of a church. It's difficult even in my country that has secularism written into the constitution, and still gives churches and other religious institutions special rules because of historical reasons. (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laicism#Germany)

Highlighting the uniform requirements of a religious school could be argued to be discriminatory as the vast majority of state funded schools in this country have uniforms that are sex based and could be seen to disadvantage girls.
If we’re going to argue against strict uniforms, please include all schools, not just faith ones.

All state education should be secular in the UK, imo

This isnt individual families setting their own rules, these are rules for the whole community. Yes there will be Muslim parents who only allow very modest clothing. But most of those Muslim children will not live in the isolated conditions that Haredi children do. Most Muslim children are in state schools. They arent in a school which decides how their mother can dress or whether she is allowed to drive or makes your little sister wear flesh coloured tights on a 30 degree day.

The reason Hasidic people have been able to live like this is because they are white. If this was a non-white group of people, they would have been disbanded and probably banned from openly existing years ago.

Are you sure about siblings? I thought shomer negiah excluded one's close relatives?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shomer-negiah/&ved=2ahUKEwiU28i98_qPAxV0V0EAHbdXK2wQFnoECFIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0meDYGLqQoyt8KHMP4ndsM

They don't even accept children who they feel aren't orthodox enough. Being Jewish isn't enough.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10035082576537613&vanity=100089452336138

This is a fairly modern orthodox family. Listen to what he says about it.

"Ask your Rabbi" is often used to let someone know that the answer to this is controversial so it is best that your rabbi explains to you why you shouldn't be doing that in private. That will be things like "should I use birth control?" Or in this case, should I let my little boy hug his sister.

"I hate the equality act, all women should be made to wear skirts." is not what I said and you know it. Parents are within their rights to reject schools that are "offered" to them by their local EA and you're generally offered more than one school - unless you live in remote areas.

That's true that most Muslims are in state schools. It would also be very unusual for British-born Muslim teenagers to struggle with English as some Haredi apparently do even in late teens.

There are around 30 state-funded Muslim faith schools & over 180 private ones, the latter especially seem to have a lot of worrying stuff often.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=faithschoolersanonymous.uk/category/muslim-schools/%23:~:text%3DThere%2520are%2520currently%2520nearly%2520thirty,significantly%2520from%2520case%2520to%2520case.&ved=2ahUKEwilhcmp9PqPAxUmaEEAHe4eBTYQzsoNegQIFRAQ&usg=AOvVaw3mflJwaXPuCtWWWJ06Yn29

Around 91 strictly Orthodox Jewish schools in UK. I personally think faith schools shouldn't exist, there's nothing stopping parents from educating their children about their religion in spare time & sending them to weekend classes.

That's so sad, I hope this isn't typical & that the Rabbi normally says yes...

I think they should exist but should have to meet the national standards of all state schools in terms of education.

I agree there are issues in Muslim schools but as far as I know, a big difference between a private Muslim school and these Hasidic schools is that the former only need you to be Muslim to attend whereas the latter need you to adhere to a pretty restrictive sect of Judaism. It's more cultish for want of a better term.

If public money is going to a school which limits itself so strictly to one religion only, it follows that there is less public money for other schools, and that children of that religion have more choice than others in their area.

Most if not all Christian state schools do allow in pupils of different faiths or no faith. I've never come across any other school that sought to control what parents and family wear as well as the pupils. I wonder whether they seek to apply those rules to other visitors such as educational psychologists and school inspectors?

When it comes to birth control and sterilisation, only if there is a clear, physical threat to the woman's life. In Midwifery, you will often liase with a Rabbi yourself as part of the decision making process with the women (and her husband). You can try and give her as much autonomy as possible, but you also have to accept that she will take her guidance from her rabbi and husband. It isnt uncommon for you to reach a decision that she then later turns on after she's left and has private conversations with everyone.

People will only send their children there who agree with this ..it will be what they want ,part of why they chose the school.
My children went to a Catholic school.. because I chose it ..I wanted the mass every week for them and us .. someone who didn't want a weekly mass would choose a different school

Can I ask, (I get if not), do you serve this community as a midwife?

That sounds worrying re threat to life...I know Hasidism mandates having many children..

"The reason Hasidic people have been able to live like this is because they are white. If this was a non-white group of people, they would have been disbanded and probably banned from openly existing years ago."

Do you have examples of "non-white" groups this happened to?

Can I ask, (I get if not), do you serve this community as a midwife?

That sounds worrying re threat to life...I know Hasidism mandates having many children..

They stop a lot of those people coming in. There are Jewish representatives in many of those roles who work in a private, freelance capacity. For instance, Ive met a social worker. Didn't work for local children's services and I think they actually worked for the Jewish court (Beth Din). But apparently they are better suited to assess the suitability and safety of Hasidic homes and families than "our" social workers because we don't get it.

What about Muslim girls whose parents want them to have a single sex education?
Your argument doesn't really hold. If the school in question didn’t exist, those pupils would have to attend a different school. The money they carry via the NFF would go to those schools instead.

That is worrying too. I've read of abuse cases in NY where the Hasidic mother was shunned by the community & found it hard to keep her kids. Also child abuse. Obvs these are the worst aspects but stands to reason closed communities would have higher.

Yes. Everyone in North-East London serves a bit of the community. There are some hospitals which are more of a hub than others but actually the Hasidic community aren't just located in small areas like Stamford Hill any more so they use surrpunding hospitals more often and we have to learn to cater to their specfic maternity needs.

For instance, there is a community in Canvey Island now. One of my colleagues works in a hospital that is definitely a hub. She's worked with midwives in places like Canvey Island and Gateshead where there are also communities to kind of share skills.

It doesn’t look like Nancy Reuben school is Hasidic at all. It’s a Sephardic orthodox Jewish school. It shouldn’t be conflated with the Hasidic community.