The United Synagogue

USAJE Gives Evidence At Select Committee Inquiry On Education

PRESS RELEASE

London,
23 May 2006

USAJE GIVES EVIDENCE AT SELECT COMMITTEE INQUIRY ON EDUCATION


Simon Goulden, Chief Executive of the United Synagogue Agency for Jewish Education, gave evidence on Monday to the House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee as part of their Inquiry into Citizenship Education.

The Inquiry investigated the extent to which citizenship education is taught in faith schools and the relationship between citizenship education and the current debate on British identity.

As part of his oral evidence, Mr. Goulden commented: “The whole subject of citizenship is very difficult to decouple from the very life of the school itself. Judaism believes that education is the process of becoming a citizen, becoming articulate in the law, in collective responsibility, in responsibility for the world around us. Thus, to have citizenship education as a separate subject has been quite challenging for the Jewish community in its schools. We’ve very much built it in to religious education because religion imbues our lives and that focuses us on citizenship subjects.

Mr. Goulden’s evidence was taken together with evidence from the Association of Muslim Schools UK and the Church of England.

The Inquiry can be heard on the Parliament’s webcast-http://www.parliamentlive.tv/

A transcript of the Inquiry will also be available on the website of the Education and Skills Select Committee by the end of the week.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmeduski.htm

-End-

EDITORS’ NOTES: -

For further information, please contact:

Nikki Ginsberg
The PR Office
Work: 020 7383 3623
Email: nginsberg@theproffice.com

   ------------------------