Government attacks Jewish schools...

...as part of a general attempt to undermine all "Faith schools". Look at this report on the front page of today's Independent. Under the guise of a survey of religious-based schools in three local authorities, a Govt-sponsored body says it found six that invited parents to make a voluntary contribution towards books and equipment. Five of these were Jewish schools, and one was Church of England. Apparently, we are all meant to be indignant that schools might invite parents to make a contribution. Why? The schools made it clear that the funds were specifically for religious books. And for years the cry against religious schools has precisely been that taxpayers' money was going towards religious materials! Now, when some schools opt to invite parents to pay instead, we are being told it's somehow unethical.

This is all part of a concerted attack on the voluntarily-aided schools, and frankly I find it sinister. Combined with the outrageous interrogation of Bishop Patrick O'Donohue by a Parliamentary committee because of his robust defence of Catholic schooling, it's a sign of a trend that spells considerable danger to freedom of education in our country.

Watch out for further attacks: at a guess, there will be attempts to find parents who are angry/upset/'feel excluded'/etc because their children at a Church school have been told that they should attend Mass regularly, or that marriage is the foundation of family life, or that the Ten Commandments matter.