One in two Jewish teachers in the UK has experienced antisemitism in the workplace, a survey by NASUWT, The Teachers’ Union revealed.
The report, carried out in May 2024 with 138 Jewish teachers, was shared with The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
The survey highlighted the shocking prevalence of antisemitism in schools and educational facilities, with 90% of respondents saying their employers need more antisemitism training.
Approximately 51% of the Jewish teachers surveyed have experienced antisemitism in the workplace in the past year, with 78% of those teachers experiencing abuse personally, 37% witnessing it happening to someone else, and 38% being told about it happening by someone else.
Additionally, 44% have seen swastika graffiti at their schools, and 39% have witnessed or been subject to Nazi-related comments.
A third of the respondents did not feel they could report antisemitism to their employers, and for those who did, more than half said appropriate action was not taken.
Interestingly, teachers in non-faith schools experienced the most antisemitism 79%, compared to 29% of respondents working in faith schools.
NASUWT shared some anonymous comments with the Post. A prominent theme in them was that the topic of antisemitism was considered too contentious, and therefore, schools chose to avoid it completely or felt they did not have the correct environment to discuss it.
“Staff and students find it difficult to manage debates and discussions about the topic, so [they] avoid the topic altogether,” said one teacher. “I think the problem goes far beyond anything the schools on their own can realistically do much about,” said another.
“If schools are tackling Israel/Palestine, an expert needs to do this, and staff need training on the history of Israel, as it is a very emotive topic with opposing narratives. It should be based on fact only.”
However, this lack of education among staff and students has led to the proliferation of harmful beliefs about Jews.
Violations of IHRA definition of antisemitism
One teacher commented, “Staff have thought I am from Israel and wondered how I have a British passport.” According to the IHRA definition of antisemitism, statements that “accuse Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel” are antisemitic.
Another teacher reported being told, “It’s not racist to say Jews are rich; it’s just a fact.’”
“NASUWT stands firmly with any teacher suffering discrimination due to their religion or ethnicity,” Matt Wrack, acting general-secretary of NASUWT, said. “Schools and colleges have a legal responsibility to safeguard teachers and pupils from all forms of abuse. They urgently require more support from the government in this complex area.
He spoke about the role online misinformation plays in fueling the rise of antisemitism, particularly the “dangerous rhetoric from far-right movements and stereotyping of Jewish people.”
Some Jewish teachers are frightened of revealing their religion at work, he added, something that cannot be allowed to persist.
“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. We are asking [Secretary of State for Education] Bridget Phillipson to meet with us to galvanize action on these unacceptable trends. If we are going to stamp out discrimination in all its insidious forms, we need visible leadership from the government.”
NASUWT has written to Phillipson to ask that the Department for Education provide guidance for schools on dealing with antisemitism.