Children of strictly Orthodox Jewish parents will have their schools closed, forcing thousands to be homeschooled, Jewish organisations have warned.
The Jewish Chronicle has reported that Chinuch UK, the umbrella organisation for Charedi education, and the Jewish schools’ network PaJeS, are lobbying the government to make exemptions to the 20% VAT on fees, arguing that the Jewish parents will not be able to meet the extra cost.
There are a few Charedi state schools, but most children from the strictly Orthodox community attend private institutions.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met representatives from the Board of Deputies and other Jewish groups last Friday and was told of parents’ concerns.
Rabbi David Meyer, chief executive of PaJeS, said the VAT policy, alongside the increase in business rates plus the increase in National Insurance posed “a significant threat to the UK’s approximately 80 independent Jewish schools, with the Charedi community facing the most severe consequences”.
He said such schools “often with an intake from a lower socioeconomic bracket, cannot absorb the cumulative financial pressures, especially within the same academic year”.
Meyer added: “We are already seeing impending school closures, which will create fundamental disruption to Jewish educational infrastructure. With more than 20,000 children in Jewish independent schools, it is likely we will see a significant proportion being left without a school to attend. Many will be left with no alternative but to be educated at home.”
Motty Pinter, of Chinuch UK, said the Treasury has taken steps to exempt military families and children with special needs and Educational and Health Care Plans, but had “completely ignored the needs of strictly Orthodox Jewish children”, adding “Charedi children face similar necessities, relying on independent schools to provide an education that mainstream state schools simply cannot replicate. Despite this clear parallel, their needs have been unjustifiably overlooked.”
Charedi schools on average charge between £2,200 to £4,000 per annum. However, many parents don’t pay anywhere near full fees. Children are not turned away if the families cannot afford to pay and schools are heavily reliant on donations.
Zvi Sobel, chair of governors of Bnos Beis Yaakov, an independent primary in Kingsbury, Northwest London, said: “We now face the very real threat of closure. We have always operated on the edge of financial viability, charging minimal fees. Our maximum annual school fees are £4,350, but with 107 pupils, only 16 families pay the full fees. 25 families pay no fees at all, and the remaining families contribute as much as they can afford. We never turn anyone away because they cannot pay the full fees.
“To bridge the gap, we rely on an annual charity-matching campaign. However, the cost of living crisis has significantly reduced donations, and last year’s fundraiser fell short. Even with these contributions, we either just about break even or run a deficit, depending on the year.”
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