opinion | Every child in New York has the right to an adequate education
Elected officials have known about this crisis for years and have not stopped it. Parents, alumni and teachers have outlined a systematic denial of education, which they say is intended to prevent them from succeeding outside the Hasidic community. In 2015, more than 50 parents, alumni and teachers sent a letter to several school superintendents and the city’s education department alleging that 39 Hasidic schools had failed to teach English and other basic secular subjects, and the state Education is not in compliance with the law. ,
“Generally, among the listed yeshivas, English and math are taught at ages 7 to 13 with an average combined time of only 90 minutes and only four days a week,” he wrote. “Other secular subjects are not taught at all, only taught in English. In these yeshivas, English education for boys stops at the age of 13. Girls generally have a better secular education than boys. But we are still concerned that this is not enough to prepare them for their future.”
The one-year city investigation that began under former mayor Bill de Blasio is still not complete. In 2019, however, the city released an interim report which concluded that dozens of Hasidic schools were denying children a basic education.
The city and state have allowed those schools to operate anyway.
From governors and legislators to mayors and city officials, and the education officials they appoint or influence, elected officials have been very reluctant to take decisive action to protect these children. If they did, the reality is that they could face political retaliation from leaders of Hasidic communities, who traditionally vote as a bloc, maximizing their influence in New York elections. The investigation ended under Mr. de Blasio, who had nurtured political ties to the Hasidic community. It continues under Mr. Adams, who has also developed such relationships.
When asked what they planned to do to ensure Hasidic children get a basic education in the state, several prominent New York elected officials had little to say.
Senator Charles Schumer declined to comment through a spokesman.
Representative Hakim Jeffries, whose district includes some schools, said through a spokesman that the allegations are “serious in nature” and require a “rigorous investigation.”