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Antisemitism in schools
In 2024, almost a quarter of British Jewish parents reported that their child or children had faced antisemitism in or around school. Jewish children have been physically assaulted on their way to school, subjected to bullying and abuse by their classmates, threatened in both Jewish and non-faith schools and had their property deliberately damaged or destroyed.
All children have the right to be safe in school, whatever their nationality, ethnicity, race, religion or belief.
Understanding antisemitism in schools
Antisemitism means having negative ideas, stereotypes or hatred towards Jewish people just because they are Jewish. Antisemitism can target individuals, groups, or even buildings, symbols and places connected to Jewish life, like synagogues or schools. Antisemitism can sometimes be targeted with the aim of hurting or upsetting people, but at the same time, it can sometimes be unintentional and caused by people not considering the needs of Jewish people.
Examples of antisemitism in schools might include:
- Holding Jewish children responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group.
- Discriminating against Jewish children or treating them less favourably.
- Bullying, harassing or excluding children because of their Jewish identity, beliefs or views on Israel.
- Failing to adequately respond to safeguarding concerns related to antisemitism.
- Penalising staff, pupils and parents for raising safeguarding concerns related to antisemitism.
- Implementing policies and decision-making that exclude or disadvantage Jewish children.
- Failing to understand and assess the risks to children of radicalisation and extremism, including when online and to put adequate measures in place to protect children from these risks.
All schools have a legal duty to safeguard children from hatred and discrimination in school and every child has the right to safe to learn.
‘My 13 year old son was threatened with beheading by older students at school because he is Jewish. It was totally unprovoked and he was terrified. The school police liaison interviewed the students and reported back to me that in all other respects they were model students and then I got an enlightening lecture about right-wing extremism.’
Parent of a Jewish child in a UK school
‘Hitler should have finished the job.’
‘I see the comments about us on snapchat all the time. I don’t understand why people are allowed to pick on us and nothing happens.’
Jewish teenager in a UK school