A new report has revealed that Jewish pupils are losing trust in teachers following a rise in antisemitic bullying, including Nazi salutes. The group Parents Against Antisemitism (PAA) has compiled a dossier of more than 100 accounts of abuse committed by both pupils and teachers.
The report states that anti-Jewish hatred is now routinely experienced by youngsters because schools do not know how to deal with incidents. In some cases, teachers and pupils involved in antisemitism have been spoken to or punished but allowed to remain in their schools. The dossier has been sent to the government's independent review on antisemitism in schools and colleges.
One mother described how a teacher led a drama class activity that resulted in the only Jewish pupil in the class being surrounded by peers giving the Nazi salute. This behaviour was later repeated in the playground. The class Snapchat group name was changed to 'F*** Israel, Heil Hitler', and pupils recorded voice notes accusing the boy of being a paedophile who thinks he can get away with it because he is Jewish.
The mother told The Times: 'He lost trust in his teachers. He got to the point that he felt there was no point complaining about the behaviour because nothing was done. We had to take him out of the school.'
Another mother reported that her children, also in a London secondary school, experienced other pupils calling them 'Jew, Jew' and 'F*** Israel'. Swastikas were drawn on school walls, and one student commented in class that 'Jewish blood is toxic'. A teacher started a lesson with a picture of Israeli hostages being released, claiming that reports of poor treatment by Hamas were 'Israeli propaganda' and that the hostages were well treated by their captors. It is understood the teacher was spoken to but remains in their post.
The same woman said two female pupils were suspended and spoken to by the police after they told her son they would 'send our family to behead yours, like Jews deserve'. However, no further action was taken. The mother said: 'There is a very clear line that is being crossed, including by teachers, I think people need to wake up to how deep-seated antisemitism is.'
The dossier also included an account from a London pupil who said she had been called a 'f***ing Zionist pig' in class after the October 7 attacks. She noted a massive shift in how she was treated by both students and teachers.
A spokesperson for PAA said: 'We urgently need political leadership and clear safeguarding measures to address the antisemitism crisis in schools so that Jewish pupils can feel safe again.'
A spokeswoman for the Department for Education commented: 'These are horrible and concerning allegations. Antisemitism has no place in our society or schools, and every student and staff member deserves to feel safe and respected. That is why the government is making Holocaust education a compulsory topic for all students.'
