The number of British secondary schools holding events to commemorate the Holocaust has more than halved in the three years following the October 7th terror attacks in Israel, new figures reveal.
Data from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust shows a stark reversal of a previously positive trend. While over 2,000 schools signed up for memorial activities in 2023, participation has collapsed. In 2024, only 854 schools took part, representing a 60 per cent drop from the peak. A further decline saw around 800 fewer schools involved in 2024, and another 350 dropping out in 2025.
Leaders voice profound concern over 'path of least resistance'
Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi, expressed deep alarm at the figures. He suggested that educators might be opting for the 'path of least resistance' by choosing not to mark the day amidst heightened political tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
'Holocaust Memorial Day is not a platform for political debate,' Sir Ephraim stated. 'It is not an endorsement of any government, perspective or conflict. It is an act of human memory.'
He issued a grave warning about the implications for future generations: 'I fear for what will happen this year. For if we cannot teach our children to remember the past with integrity and resolve, then we must ask ourselves what kind of future they will inherit.'
Political tensions spill into school safeguarding
The decline in commemorations coincides with instances where Middle East-related tensions have directly impacted school activities. In a prominent case, Labour MP Damien Egan was barred from visiting Bristol Brunel Academy in his constituency in September.
The visit was cancelled after far-left activists from the local National Education Union (NEU) and Palestine Solidarity Campaign groups protested, citing 'safeguarding concerns' linked to Mr Egan's role as a vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel. Activists described the cancellation as a win, with one NEU representative stating teachers had planned to wear keffiyehs and prepare related student work.
This incident follows historical controversy within the NEU; its current General Secretary, Daniel Kebede, was accused of antisemitism in 2021 after footage emerged of him chanting a slogan banned by the Met Police.
A call to 'bridge generations' amidst falling engagement
Olivia Marks, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, emphasised to The Sunday Times the continued importance of teachers organising lessons for the day. The Trust, established by the government in 2005, provides annual themed resources to schools.
For 2026, the theme is 'bridging generations', aiming to connect the past with the present. This push comes as participation falls to a fraction of the UK's approximately 4,200 secondary schools.
The backdrop to this decline is the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage. While national commemorations, such as the lighting of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey in purple, continue, engagement at the crucial school level appears to be waning significantly.
