Anti-semitism now rife in schools, with pupils chanting 'free Palestine' and 'f*** the Jews', teachers warn

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

Anti-semitism is now rife across schools in the UK, with teachers warning of pupils chanting 'free Palestine ' and 'f*** the Jews'.
A new survey undertaken by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) revealed that more than half (51 per cent) of Jewish teachers have experienced some form of anti-semitism since May 2023.
Of the more than 300,000 members surveyed, 44 per cent also reported witnessing swastika graffiti at their schools, while 39 per cent have been subjected to Nazi-related comments.
One Jewish teacher even reported having students shout 'free Palestine' at them 'on multiple occasions', while, in another instance, someone shouted 'f*** the Jews'.
Meanwhile, members of teaching staff recalled instances where they had been told 'it's not racist to say Jews are rich - it's just a fact', while others said they had been assumed to be Israeli, rather than British.
Now, the NASUWT are making an urgent plea for education secretary Bridget Phillipson to help tackle these 'unacceptable trends' and 'stamp out discrimination'.
Matt Wrack, Acting General Secretary of NASUWT, said that members of the union believe the rise in anti-semitic abuse was due to 'misinformation on social media'.
He added that this 'dangerous rhetoric from far-right movements and stereotyping of Jewish people' is helping to 'fuel a rise in anti-semitic and racist abuse in schools'.
Mr Wrack, who said that several teachers were now 'fearful' of openly disclosing their religion while at work, said that 'this cannot be allowed to continue'.
'It is clear that schools need swift, strong support in tackling antisemitism so that Jewish teachers and pupils can feel safe', he said.
Adding that there is an urgent need for 'visible leadership from the government', he said: Antisemitism does not happen in isolation. We know that many forms of racist abuse are occurring in education settings and will be looking at this closely.'
It follows Hamas attacks on October 7 in response to the ongoing occupation of Palestinian land, with the onslaught killing around 1,200 Israeli people and over 250 being taken hostage.
In November last year, Jewish children were left cowering after teenage thugs pelted their London bus with rocks and rubbish, before storming onto the vehicle and yelling 'f*** Israel', as police confirmed they are investigating a 'potential hate crime'.
Students at Jews' Free School (JFS) in Kenton, north London, were travelling home on two buses, operated by Uno, when the incident occurred on Wednesday, November 25.
As the buses made a stop in High Street, Edgware, a large group of teenagers from another school began throwing 'big heavy rocks' at one of the vehicles, one witness told Jewish Chronicle.
Four teenagers then boarded one of the buses, swearing and making antisemitic remarks towards the Jewish students.
A witness revealed: 'They were also swearing at us, saying, 'F*** Israel, nobody likes you. F*** off you b*****s.'
Another youngster who was involved in the incident said some of the children ran off the bus to escape the attack, while others cowered under their seats.
They were 'completely terrified', they said, adding that the thugs were seen filming the incident on their phones.
Meanwhile in May, a rise in anti-Jewish narratives in university classrooms was also said to be 'flourishing unchecked'.
Ongoing Israeli military action in Gaza since October 7 has reportedly led to a spike in 'disinformation' in lectures and seminars.
A study by the Henry Jackson Society, a British national security think tank, indicated that more than 70 per cent of those polled thought non-factual narratives had directly shaped their peers' understanding of the conflict.
Among the 'falsehoods' referenced were claims about the Israeli government and its stance on genocide.
The nature of anti-Jewish hate crimes reported often focused on people appearing to express support for Hamas - a proscribed terrorist organisation in Britain.
Hostility on campuses was also mentioned, amid reports students were afraid to walk around freely as they hid kippahs and Star of David necklaces.
Lord Leigh of Hurley, a Conservative life peer, said: 'Members of the National Education Union undertake activities such as clearing Israeli-made food from supermarkets and film themselves doing it and circulate those films.'
Baroness Deech, the former head of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, even claimed that the root of the 'behaviour' is the 'religious teaching that Jews are inferior'.
She described lecturers as the 'aggressors', adding: 'It demonstrates the failure of Holocaust education which focuses on dead Jews as a feature of the past and has nothing to say about the long history of antisemitism and the focus of antisemitism today, namely the state of Israel.'
Regarding concerns around a rise in anti-Jewish hate amongst students, the Office for Students said: 'Universities will need to have effective policies to protect students from harassment, robust procedures to address it if it occurs, and support for students who experience it.
'[We have] published a range of case studies and has shared resources to assist universities in their work to tackle antisemitism.
'This includes a guide to historical myths, persistent accusations and modern misconceptions about Jewish people and the truth behind them.'
Meanwhile, a report commissioned by the Board of Deputies of British Jews - the UK's largest Jewish community organisation - revealed that there had been an increase in anti-Jewish discrimination across the NHS, education, the arts and policing.
Lord John Mann, who co-authored the review, said he had heard 'shocking experiences' from several Jewish individuals, describing a public 'onslaught' of anti-semitism since October 7 as 'unacceptable'.
Speaking to the BBC's Today Programme, he added that several individuals have began to feel 'ostracised' in the workplace, with anti-semitism often failing to be adequately tackled in equality training.
NHS employees also reported feeling that anti-semitism had been 'swept under the carpet'.
In response, an NHS spokesperson told the BBC: 'It is completely unacceptable for anyone to experience racism, discrimination or prejudice in the health service, whether staff or patient, and the NHS takes any instance of antisemitism or discrimination extremely seriously.
'The NHS provides care and treatment for everyone regardless of race, faith, or background and all NHS healthcare providers should have policies in place to address issues like this in the workplace.'
In 2024, there were 3,528 anti-Semitic incidents in the UK, the second-highest total ever recorded, a shocking new report reveals today.
The year showed an 18 per cent fall on levels seen in 2023, which witnessed an orgy of vile anti-Semitism in the months after Hamas's October 7 assaults.
There were also 201 assaults, 157 incidents of damage or desecration, 250 threats and 2,892 reports of abusive behaviour.
The figures, compiled by charity the Community Security Trust (CST), said it showed the 'lasting impact' of the conflict in the Middle East/