The article "Frum times in Teaneck High" gives a positive outlook on observant parents who have decided to enroll their children in the Teaneck public school system (which supplies kosher food to those who want it). Some of these children had problems in day school, and these were solved by switching them to a public school.
However, this article ignores an important aspect of sending a child from an observant home to public school, namely, what will be the long-term effect of the public school environment on the child's commitment to Orthodoxy. It is certainly true that some Orthodox children have attended public school and remained observant. However, historically a major factor in children from observant homes not remaining observant when they reach adulthood has been public school attendance. This was seen time and time again in the 19th and 20th centuries before day school education became readily available.
See the article “No, Orthodox Jews cannot ‘Just send their kids to public school’ “ at [
goo.gl]
It paints a very different picture than the Teaneck article.
Yitzchok Levine
