Agudath Israel remains deeply concerned that the state is moving forward with its plan to intrude upon and regulate the curriculum of private schools. The specter of government overriding the will of parents and dictating how and what we teach in our private, religious schools is frightening.
Agudath Israel also notes the inclusion in the 142-page document released today of significant discussion addressing many of the comments submitted. Our legal team is continuing to study the Regulations and the discussion included therein to determine its impact upon the New York yeshiva community.
We also note the Regulation’s inclusion of several alternate pathways described in the Regulations, which provide avenues for private schools to be deemed equivalent and avoid the need for intrusive and subjective local authority inspections.
We have opposed government intrusion in our schools many times, and fought prior incarnations of the Regulations in court, in Albany, and, together with the broader Orthodox community and many others as part of the first and second public comment periods. We will continue to fight on behalf of our community to protect the autonomy of private, religious schools, as needed.
The Regulations are slated to be voted upon by the Board of Regents on Tuesday.
