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Schools in England failing to identify antisemitism as form of hate, new report to warn
Survey conducted for ex-schools inspector Sir David Bell's independent review into antisemitism in English schools and colleges found three in five Jewish students experienced Jew-hate
The author of an independent review into Jew-hatred in English schools and colleges has acknowledged that “a general commitment to tackling racism or prejudice or hate has not properly identified antisemitism as a particular kind of hate.”
Former schools inspector Sir David Bell is understood to have set out 27 recommendations for the government to accept, aiming to create change in what he described as a frightening situation for young Jews.
Jewish News understands that the government will confirm in parliament on Wednesday that it has accepted all the recommendations made in the report.
A survey conducted for the review found that one in five students said they had witnessed antisemitism, and three in five Jewish students had experienced it. However, fewer than half of those surveyed felt it would be addressed if reported.
Ahead of the Secretary of State’s response, Sir David told Sky News: “I think what this review has demonstrated is that a general commitment to tackling racism or prejudice or hate has not properly identified antisemitism as a particular kind of hate. And certainly that’s one of the themes of this report.”
“We do need to name antisemitism as a particular kind of prejudice and hate, because I think if you don’t name it, you don’t actually know what you’re tackling or what you’re going to be able to do to respond to it,” he added.
A spokesperson from the Board of Deputies of British Jews said: “Treating antisemitism in schools as a safeguarding issue will have the benefit of creating an explicit duty on all schools to address this as they would any other threat to children’s safety, and will strengthen accountability.”
The report is expected to call for teacher training and resources to tackle antisemitism in schools, strengthened guidance on political impartiality, and giving students the tools to recognise and confront online anti-Jewish hatred and conspiracy theories.
It was reported that the Bell Report will also encourage schools to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, and ensure teachers receive antisemitism awareness training.
It is expected to recommend modern-day Judaism is comprehensively taught in Religious Education classes, and promote opportunities to engage with the Jewish community, such as by visiting synagogues and marking Holocaust Memorial Day.
School inspectors from Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate will also be able to hold schools accountable for the implementation of policies to tackle antisemitism.
Rabbi Dr Samuel Landau, founder and CEO of Someone Else’s Eyes (SEE) said: “The Bell Review report makes for sobering reading on the experiences of young Jewish people in England’s schools and colleges. As a collective of policy makers, teachers, pupils and parents we have to pull together to create the conditions for respectful and mutual understanding to truly flourish. This report is the first step.”
Someone Else’s Eyes (SEE) was awarded £500,000 funding from the DfE for the Tackling Antisemitism in Education Innovation Fund, for a programme offering a fresh new approach to developing belonging and cohesion, and to tackling antisemitism through four experiential modules.
Sir David also said he was “very struck by the evidence of rising antisemitism in schools, but also the extent to which it actually goes underreported.”
He explained, “In a survey we conducted, one in five students said they had witnessed antisemitism, and three in five Jewish students had experienced it, but less than half felt it would be addressed if it was reported.”
Sir David emphasised that his report is not only about presenting evidence of antisemitism in schools, but also about “helping schools and colleges themselves to think about what they can do to tackle antisemitism and educate that next generation to be more open and tolerant.”
The review was launched by the government in March, after antisemitic episodes including the deadly Heaton Park synagogue attack in October last year.
The Department for Education intends to accept the 27 recommendations made in the report, with progress on implementation expected to be assessed in a year’s time.
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