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Labour launches new measures to tackle ‘shocking’ rise in antisemitism in schools and universities as nearly half of all teachers report swastika graffiti

The Education Secretary has today set out a series of measures to curb the “shocking” rise in antisemitism across British schools and universities.

In a bid to tackle the soaring number of cases across campuses, Bridget Phillipson announced that the Government will hand out more funding to schools and universities to enhance security training.

It comes as 44 per cent of teachers reported swastika graffiti at their school since May 2023, an investigation by the National Education Union found.

“We have seen a shocking rise in antisemitism on our campuses and in wider society,” Ms Phillipson admitted to GB News presenter Camilla Tominey.

“And I’ve spoken with many British Jews who are worried and concerned about what they see about wanting their children to be safe on their way and in their communities, but also on university campuses.”

In universities, those working in student welfare will also be given further training so that they can “recognise and tackle” antisemitism against staff and students.

The measures laid out were “to make sure that universities are honouring their responsibilities to provide safe and welcoming environments for all students, including Jewish Students”.

Understanding that students have the “democratic right in our society” to protest, harassment and intimidation on campus has “no place on campus”.

Bridget Phillipson

In the case that such protests “jeopardise the safety of Jewish students”, universities should be able to intervene in such scenarios.

Meanwhile, more funding will be doled out to secondary schools so that students can learn about the Holocaust and Holocaust survivor testimonies – which will start “shortly”.

“Because whilst we’ve got to take firm action where antisemitism rears its head and we’ve got to root it out, we all have to provide education to challenge much of the prejudice and the antisemitism that thrives in the darkness,” the Education Secretary declared.

The rest of the report by the teachers’ union had also revealed that 39 per cent of educators had either witnessed or been subjected to Nazi-related comments.

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Chants of “free Palestine” and “f**k the Jews” have also been reported.

In light of the pro-Palestine protest in London on Saturday, thousands of demonstrators took to Whitehall, chanting “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the Intifada”.

With a peace deal agreed by Hamas and Israel in the works, questions have been thrown up over why such protests are going ahead.

“People feel very strongly about the conflict and about the suffering that they see, and I feel that too,” Ms Phillipson said.

Large crowds of pro-Palestine protesters are seen in London

“But I agree that we also need to see the hostages release. And I hope and pray that within the next 24 hours, they will be back home with their loved ones.”

The deputy leadership hopeful harked back to what she previously said regarding the October 7 protests, saying “just because you can protest, doesn’t mean you have to protest”.

She said: “And it doesn’t mean you have to protest on a day when many Jews in this country will be grieving especially given the recent terrorist attack we saw in Manchester.”

Such action “speaks to the need for all of us to reflect on our shared humanity, a sense of decency to one another, and the need to understand different points of view”, she added.

LP Staff Writers

Writers at Lord’s Press come from a range of professional backgrounds, including history, diplomacy, heraldry, and public administration. Many publish anonymously or under initials—a practice that reflects the publication’s long-standing emphasis on discretion and editorial objectivity. While they bring expertise in European nobility, protocol, and archival research, their role is not to opine, but to document. Their focus remains on accuracy, historical integrity, and the preservation of events and individuals whose significance might otherwise go unrecorded.

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