NYTimes recently ran an article, seeming to show that because of their political clout, Hasidic schools spend most of their time on religious subjects, slighting the basics, which mean their students, particularly boys, do not pass state exams. The article has led to a lot of discussion.
When you have a diverse society, we have a problem in drawing lines. Over my life the society has often backed off an original decision: no facial hair for military, no afros, no turbans for Sikhs, etc. The Amish do schooling up through 8th grade only, and don't participate in Social Security. There's no problem with the hijab and the burka, the sari and the whatever, though low-slung jeans that show underwear are, or were, controversial.
There's always been controversies over books in school, not to mention the behavior of teachers. No pregnant teachers in the past, no beards, etc. We once wanted books which embodied the Protestant version of Christianity. I don't remember whether, when we said the Lord's Prayer every morning in my school, whether we said "debts" or "trespasses".
There's always tension between the authority/teachings of the professional teacher and the authority/teachings of the parents (and these days, between parents who are separated or divorced).
I wonder how nations who are more diverse than the US, such as India or Indonesia, handle the lines. I doubt we'll ever get consensus on the lines.
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