Education Secretary Lucy Powell says the government will "update and strengthen" Holocaust education within schools after a major review highlighted the "shocking scale" of antisemitism in British society. Schools and colleges in England will be required to recognise antisemitism as a distinct category of harm and take explicit action against it. It means anti-Jewish hatred will be treated as a specific safeguarding risk rather than being dealt with through existing measures to stop racism and bullying.
The government has accepted all of the 27 recommendations made in the government-commissioned review including dedicated training for teachers and more consistent recording of incidents. Schools should recognise antisemitism as distinct form of harm, review says The review into antisemitism in schools and colleges in England was led by former Ofsted chief inspector Sir David Bell and presented to Parliament on Wednesday. Powell told the BBC it marked a "generational moment" to re-educate young people, among whom she said the issue of antisemitism was "particularly prevalent".
She said: "It's definitely a crisis and I think it's actually got worse since Sir David began this review. This has become a real challenge for Jewish people in our country, but also Jewish students and Jewish teachers working in our schools and colleges. "I do really feel it is a generational moment to educate this generation and the next – that is the job of education – to understand what antisemitism is in the modern world." Speaking on Holocaust education, the education secretary said new lessons will "challenge" some of the concepts that young people have.
The review also calls for stronger guidance on political impartiality for teachers. Powell told the House of Commons "teachers should not bring their own political views into the classroom" but they should not avoid discussing important topics. The review was launched following a series of high-profile incidents including the attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester in October 2025, in which two men were killed.
Separate reviews were also commissioned into antisemitism in healthcare and into public order and hate crime laws. The BBC revealed in August that the Bell review had found Jewish schoolchildren were experiencing regular harassment and abuse. It also found that headteachers of some Jewish schools were spending more of their time dealing with security arrangements than educational matters.
The review also recommends that the government sets up a type of hotline where school leaders can access immediate advice on tackling antisemitism. Bell, who is now vice-chancellor of the University of Sunderland, heard evidence from pupils, teachers, governors and parents across state and independent schools, as well as from community organisations. He told the BBC: "This is not just a report for Jewish children in Jewish schools.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
