The Hamodia had an interesting article this past week - it was about the history of the unofficial arrangement that came to be known as "the status quo".

They also printed the letter itself that defined the arrangement, signed by David Ben Gurion and representatives of the Jewish Agency. The copy of the original letter is not really readable but they translate it, and it is easy enough to find the original text online:



I commend the Hamodia for actually printing the letter and translation, as they could have just gone with the history and description, in which they can be vague enough and only point out what they want. But they did print it, and that gives the reader the opportunity to see what it actually says..

A lot can be said about each part of the letter, but I just want to point out the one thing that struck me right away when I first read it. And that is regarding item #4 in the details of the arrangement. The point regarding education.

I translate:
4. Education: complete autonomy of each education system will be guaranteed (as an aside, this arrangement is already in place between the Zionist Agency and Knesset Israel even now) and the government will not violate the religious status and religious conscience of any group of Jews. The State, of course, will determine the minimum obligatory courses, Hebrew language, history, science, etc. and will supervise compliance with this minimum, but it will give full freedom to every stream to manage education as  it sees fit, and will stay away from encroaching on their religious conscience.

What I noticed is the right of the State to determine minimum obligatory courses, including Hebrew, history, science, and anything else it determines as necessary. So while every change or act by the government in religious issues or policy draws fights and opposition using the "status quo", it seems that the original agreement (arrangement) included allowing the government to require minimum standrads of general education.

Why is compliance with the "status quo" only enforced in one direction, but any attempt to determine and require a minimal general education nowadays is opposed by the Haredi community? If the status quo is in effect, and one can argue whether it is or is not, but the Haredi askanim and politicians clearly consider it to be binding, where is the general education in the Haredi school system?