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.'

I'm imagining this is a fairly orthodox Jewish school in an area with a large Jewish population. If this is the case then the parents would most likely be orthodox themselves.

You only need to look at the website to see the girls are wearing ordinary school dresses, looks like the regular checked summer dresses, with bare legs and ankle socks, hardly restrictive. Looking at the parent / visitor criteria they’re basically saying, wear a skirt which isn’t a mini skirt and you can wear a tshirt but not a vest top. It’s not a big deal. And it’s perfectly normal for men to wear a kippah in a Jewish building, they wouldn’t expect non Jewish men to. Also, I would say that even the least religious men tend to keep on in their glove compartment. Don’t ask me why, I guess it’s if they’re quickly called to a funeral or want to go to a graveyard. Even DP who couldn’t be less interested in religion if he tried has one there, random useless fact for Jewish men

Yes, it's rough for the boys in other ways. There was a great but sad BBC programme recently about teens going 'Off The Derech' (leaving).

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p04n1x7p&ved=2ahUKEwi56I6l_vqPAxXqQUEAHRFnBbgQFnoECCIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1uI19jIIdBUd9IgTAqxV4l

Most schools have uniform requirements. I'm imagining people who are not supportive of the school ethos would not choose to send their children there.

Ofc. It still seems wrong though...

They enforce this because their religion has these beliefs about why girls should dress this way.

That sounds fine. Probs would be better to have a thread about issues in Hasidic schools than this one..

Of course loads of secondary school communities send that message to girls. No teenage girl wears a skirt up to her crotch that she constantly has to pull down through individual choice. A strictly enforced knee length skirt would come as a huge relief to many girls in schools. Choice is only an illusion when all your peers are doing something and there is overwhelming social pressure to follow.

Literally isn’t a big deal. My boys just saw them as part of uniform, different school and pulled them off when they left the building. My issue was that they were constantly covered in wee as they never put them out of the way when they went to the toilet.

I would suggest this is taught to midwives and health visitors as a neglect issue- inappropriate clothing for the weather.

Then you risk those families being unable to access services because of the fear of censure. So maybe as part of the antenatal classes, these issues could be raised?

Hearing that makes me grateful I went to a girls' school. It actually had no uniform but nobody dressed like that apart from a few edgy people.

I totally agree. Lack of secular education in the Hasidic community is a very serious problem and something to be properly concerned about.

Muslim (or Christian, Jewish/whatever), state schools shouldn’t be allowed to have such a dictatorial dress code.

We are often not allowed to talk about Muslim dress codes though and the Muslim Council are working to get criticism of Islam into the definition of Islamophobia which could result in criminal convictions. This may not be explicitly in the guidance but it will be loosely worded enough that activists can have it enforced to ‘set an example’ and a chilling effect will ensue.

Trans activists have used this approach very successfully. We should be very wary and push back against all such dictatorial dress codes.

By recognising that non family members may not be orthodox and so do not have to adhere by the strict rules?

This is clearly an orthodox jewish school. I'm not seeing the issue, myself.

Yes, I mean they surely aren't very heavy for boys of that age?

So you want the state to dictate that faith schools cannot themselves dictate their own rules?

Yes, dress codes in Muslim schools should be questioned if draconian not just fobbed off like that...

If you want your child educated in a very specific restrictive exclusionary way they you are free to do so. You should not expect the tax payer to pay for it for you.

But that is not in the context of a state school. The schools you are talking about tend to be for boys, and are run outside of the state system.

I don't personally believe we should have faith schools at all. Synagogues/mosques etc can have weekend classes. Besides, plenty of religious people manage to teach their children their religion & send them to a secular school.

You realise the girls roll their skirts up , right? I used to do it too. No school has made any girl wear a miniskirt,n this school makes the students and visitors adhere to misogynistic dress codes. Youre not going to be chucked out a secular school for wearing a full length skirt. You will be chucked out of this school if your mum wears a vest. Or your nanny for that matter.

No they don’t really weigh anything.

And? The whole point is that apparently often they do not provide an adequate education, and that is morally wrong. Teens shouldn't be struggling to speak English, for one thing, as apparently is the outcome or some of these schools.

A bit like the religion of 'Gender Identity' then?

I used to work for a Jewish couple and now work for a local Evangelical church in one of the many charitable projects they have. Maybe it's because I'm not bothered about other people having religions even though I don't have one, but I've never felt intimidated or offended.