One in six secondary schools marked Holocaust Memorial Day this year, new figures show
HMDT announce 2027 theme as school participation begins to recover
There was a significant increase in the number of secondary schools marking this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, new figures have confirmed.
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) has stated that more than 1,000 secondary schools participated in events marking the anniversary of the Shoah, representing 17% of the total number of secondary schools nationwide, an increase from just 9% in 2025.
Despite this increase, the figures still confirm a sizable dip in the number of schools acknowledging Holocaust Memorial Day compared to 2023.
Ahead of HMD 2026, a report in The Times revealed that more than 2,000 secondary schools around the UK had signed up to events commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day in 2023, which takes place on January 27, according to data from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
Until that year, participation had increased annually since 2019. But since the terrorist attacks by Hamas, the number of participating schools fell to fewer than 1,200 in 2024 and 854 in 2025—a reduction of nearly 60 per cent.
In an interview with Jewish News, new HMDT chair Sir Sajid Javid admitted: “Sadly, the numbers [of schools marking Holocaust Memorial Day] have gone down in the last couple of years.
“First, I want to have an ambition to get it back up to where it used to be. But then, even go beyond that… It’s ambitious, but that’s what we’re about.”
In figures announced this week, HMDT’s Light the Darkness campaign also saw 230 buildings and landmarks illuminated in purple at 8pm as part of a nationwide act of remembrance – an increase from 200 in 2025.
The campaign appeared on 3,000 billboards across the UK, and HMDT’s radio advert aired more than 900 times across the Global network.
The evening concluded with the announcement of the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2027: No Place for Prejudice. The theme encourages a dual approach: viewing prejudice through a historical lens to examine how it shaped and enabled the Holocaust, and applying those lessons to the present day.
It calls on society to recognise where prejudice still exists — including in everyday life and trusted institutions — and the danger of how it can become normalised. It urges each of us to take responsibility for challenging it.
Speaking about the new theme, Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE, Chief Executive of HMDT, said: “The 2027 theme invites us to reflect on how prejudice against Jewish people (antisemitism) was normalised and embedded in cultural, legal, social and educational institutions in the lead-up to the Holocaust.
“It alerts us to where prejudice – against Jewish people and against other minorities – can be seen today. It challenges us to stop excusing prejudice as ‘inevitable’ and instead creates space for thoughtful, informed dialogue on how we can build a society with no place for hate.
“As antisemitism and other forms of prejudice increasingly plague our societies, we must do more. History shows that prejudice grows when tolerated and diminishes when individuals and institutions take responsibility. We must remember the past to protect the future.”
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