UK schools must teach about antisemitism

As reported by the BBC, schools in the UK should teach about antisemitism as part of a wider drive to tackle anti-Jewish hatred, a report from a government adviser says

Lord John Mann, who is the UK’s antisemitism adviser, is urging ministers to work with social media companies to eradicate hatred online.

It comes after reports of antisemitic incidents reached a record high in the UK last year.

The government said they supported schools discussing antisemitism.

The Holocaust is a compulsory part of the curriculum in secondary schools but learning about modern antisemitism is not.

‘It is not enough to teach about the Holocaust,’ the report said, and urged ministers to guarantee funding for schools to teach about contemporary anti-Jewish hatred.

Efforts to promote a more diverse curriculum reflecting the legacy of colonialism must ‘recognise that all forms of racism should be addressed’, the report said.

It cited evidence suggesting that of more than 600 antisemitic incidents in the UK after a spate of Israeli-Palestinian violence in 2021, a quarter took place in schools and universities.