Unity isn’t taught on the football pitch, it’s taught in the classroom

A few weeks ago, the streets of London were filled with football fans, but what the events of the day showed us was much bigger than the game itself. 

As Arsenal paraded to celebrate their first Premier League title in 22 years, hundreds of thousands of people – not just die-hard fans like me – came out to celebrate. People from every background, age, colour and faith stood side by side, united not by who they were, but by what they shared. There was a sense of collective joy and pride in the team’s achievement and a tangible feeling of togetherness in the achievement of a shared goal (pun unintended). It’s a feeling that has been sorely missing in wider society for some time, but that sense of unity, of coming together and choosing to back something bigger than ourselves, is exactly what we need more of in the world right now.

For one afternoon, the unity came naturally. In the real world, sadly, it doesn’t usually work that way. The ability to stand alongside people who are different from us and see them as equals has to be taught. We cannot assume it will happen without effort. If we want to raise a generation that looks beyond difference and stands up to hatred, we must invest in it. Building empathy, critical thinking and moral courage is not a ‘nice to have’; it is fundamental. It should sit alongside everything else we value in education.

This week, the Anne Frank Trust UK published its latest impact report, ‘Challenging Prejudice, Changing Attitudes’, and it makes clear how much work is still required. With our data independently evaluated by the University of Kent, with whom we have a long-standing partnership, the report tells us categorically what we already knew instinctively – that too many young people are starting secondary school without the knowledge, understanding or confidence to recognise and challenge prejudice, particularly antisemitism. And at a time when society is becoming increasingly polarised, this is something that should concern every single one of us. Prejudice is not an abstract issue; it impacts not just how young people see one another in the playground and the classroom but ultimately how communities function and the kind of country we live in.

But alongside this enormous challenge, our report shows that there is tangible hope, that attitudes can change, and prejudice can be challenged.

I see this unfolding in front of me every time I visit a classroom where our programmes are being taught. When young people are given the opportunity to engage properly with these very tricky issues, they do not turn away; they lean in. They ask difficult questions. They listen. They reflect. And crucially, they begin to understand that despite their young age, they have a crucial role to play. This is the foundation of our work.

We teach young people not to stand by in the face of prejudice. As the Holocaust scholar Yehuda Bauer wrote, “Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.” Holocaust survivor Marian Turski expressed the same idea more simply: “Don’t be indifferent.”

These are not just words from the past. They are principles that resonate powerfully with young people today, but only when they are given the tools to understand them.

Our data proves that this approach works. After participating in one of our core two-day school programmes, over 90 percent of young people develop more positive attitudes towards others. More than 80 percent increase in confidence to challenge prejudice and almost 90 percent improve in their understanding of antisemitism. Prejudice isn’t inevitable, and education works.

Anne Frank’s diary endures because it speaks in a voice that feels immediate and human, even decades later. When students engage with stories like hers and hear the testimony of survivors and their second- and third-generation descendants, something shifts. They become more empathetic, more informed, and more confident to recognise and challenge prejudice whenever and wherever they encounter it. The young people themselves become part of the chain, taking what they have learned further into their schools and communities.

Years ago, as a 14-year-old, I interviewed my neighbour, Gina Turgel, a Holocaust survivor. She spoke about her experiences but also about the responsibility to remember and to educate. That conversation has stayed with me ever since. It is a reminder that while we cannot change the past, we do have a duty to shape the future.

Our priority now must be to ensure that every young person, regardless of where they grow up, has access to this kind of education, because ultimately, this is about the kind of society we choose to build. And that, much like that Premier League trophy, is definitely a goal worth working towards – pun intended.

• Dan Green is the Chief Executive of the Anne Frank Trust UK