Featured Post
Free The Hostages! Bring Them Home!
(this is a featured post and will stay at the top for the foreseeable future.. scroll down for new posts) -------------------------------...
Apr 14, 2013
My einfall about haredi education and core curriculum
On Shabbos I had an einfall - an illuminating thought. It happened during a discussion with a friend about the lack of general education, and the governments upcoming efforts to try to get haredi schools to implement a core curriculum that would include mathematics and some language skills (English as the international language for the most part). The discussion mostly centered on how it is a good idea to have a basic level of education, and how in chutz la'aretz even the most hardcore haredi schools have at least basic general education, with many providing even much more than just the basics.
Shortly after that, the discussion changed topics, and we were discussing an incident from Tanach. Neither of us could remember some detail of the incident in Tanach under discussion, and we asked a couple of yeshiva kids (our own children) if they knew. None of the kids even knew what we were talking about, let alone the detail we could not remember.
Granted, I have a lousy memory and barely remember what I did learn, and I am no expert in Tanach even regardless of my bad memory, but at least I have an idea of Tanach - we learned it in school, and even in Yeshiva High School (in Telshe Yeshiva, so don't say that if I learned Tanach it must have been MO school)
And that's when I had my einfall - my illuminating thought.
The government is barking up the wrong tree. Yes, it is a problem the kids don't get basic math and language in schools. But they do not even learn Tanach! If the government is going to force a core curriculum on the haredi schools, I hope they include Tanach as one of the required topics...
Shortly after that, the discussion changed topics, and we were discussing an incident from Tanach. Neither of us could remember some detail of the incident in Tanach under discussion, and we asked a couple of yeshiva kids (our own children) if they knew. None of the kids even knew what we were talking about, let alone the detail we could not remember.
Granted, I have a lousy memory and barely remember what I did learn, and I am no expert in Tanach even regardless of my bad memory, but at least I have an idea of Tanach - we learned it in school, and even in Yeshiva High School (in Telshe Yeshiva, so don't say that if I learned Tanach it must have been MO school)
And that's when I had my einfall - my illuminating thought.
The government is barking up the wrong tree. Yes, it is a problem the kids don't get basic math and language in schools. But they do not even learn Tanach! If the government is going to force a core curriculum on the haredi schools, I hope they include Tanach as one of the required topics...
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Related Posts
On one hand, the poskim of our generation have come out against it, apparently even including Rav Kook for the torani mizrochim - so that covers Haredim and Toranim srugim. On the other hand, the Haredi politicians chose not to get involved in this area and apparently, the Mafdal might be to blame for the increased secularity of the non-religious system because of deals with Meretz in the past. The non-religious systems are unfortunately, really secular, mamash. Maybe Bennet will rise to the challenge, though I assume that he's on Lapid's side to ram secular core subjects down Haredi throats.
ReplyDeleteI think that Haredim would gradually warm up to 'integration' if it were not the outside pushing their assimilation agenda. The Haredim were not forced to talk Hebrew back in the olden days but eventually took it up. The seculars and Mafdaler are making a big mistake.
But in the end of the day, the spiritual einfall I had this Shabbat was that the Haredim are being punished for supporting/not opposing the expulsion from Gush Katif. The Mizrochnikim were punished in the expulsion for not supporting Shabbat. Hashem would rather that both segments support each other, but we will continue to get hit on the head until we wake up. And unfortunately, there are some of us in the middle as well.
the poskim of our generation have come out against learning tanach?
ReplyDeletesorry but i don't understand what you are trying to say.
Learning secular subjects.
DeleteIf you sent your kids to Zilberman schools they would have known the answer right away.
ReplyDeleteyes. there is one haredi school that still teaches tanach seriously.
ReplyDeleteThe good news for BT dads without strong gemara backgrounds is that they can help their sons learn what they won't get in school...TORAH.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, my brothers always had to ask me their navi questions...Tanach is for girls!
As for Zilberman, whenever it is mentioned, I feel I must warn everyone, as a speech therapist, that they teach/force/encourage kids to chant all day, and many end up with vocal abuse and they need voice therapy as a result. It is an EXTREMELY damaging practice, and parents should worry about it.