Addressing MPs on Wednesday, the Education Secretary warned that antisemitism is “normalised and amplified” on social media and “old tropes” have found a “new life” online.
asserted
tropes → address → life
The report did not call for a ban on teachers and pupils wearing political symbols or flags – like pro-Palestine badges – in schools and colleges.
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teachers → call → schools
The Education Secretary will write to all schools and colleges to ask them to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
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Secretary → write → antisemitism
The Government-commissioned review found that three in five Jewish pupils said they had experienced or witnessed antisemitism.
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they → commission → antisemitism
Around half of respondents who witnessed or experienced antisemitism said that incidents were not reported, the review found.
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review → witness → antisemitism
Speaking to MPs on Wednesday, Ms Powell said the “seminal” review into antisemitism in schools and colleges in England had exposed the “shocking scale” of the issue in British society.
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review → speak → society
The Education Secretary said the voices of Jewish students and teachers “will be heard” as she said “change will come”.
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change → say → students
The Government will take forward a series of measures, including dedicated antisemitism training and resources for teachers and improved reporting of antisemitic incidents.
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Government → take → incidents
Ms Powell promised to strengthen safeguarding guidance to make clear that antisemitism is “a distinct risk” that requires a distinct safeguarding response.
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that → promise → response
In a statement to the Commons, the Education Secretary said: “All children and teachers should be able to go to school or college free from fear.”
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children → say → fear
Schools and colleges will be given more support on how to ensure “controversial and sensitive” issues and geopolitical events can be discussed in an informed and impartial way.
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issues → give → way
Sir David, who led the independent review, said pupils should be able to have open discussions on the conflict between Israel and Hamas without experiencing “prejudice or hatred”.
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pupils → lead → prejudice
Speaking to the Press Association, he said it was “not good enough” that some teachers and pupils felt conversations on the topic were “too difficult to touch” when they arose in classrooms.
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they → speak → classrooms
Sir David said he had decided against recommending an outright ban on teachers and pupils wearing political symbols or flags because he believed it was “unworkable” and “untested legally”.
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it → say → symbols
But he told PA it was “entirely reasonable” for individual schools and colleges to use existing mechanisms – such as codes of conduct for staff and pupils – to set out what should be worn.
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what → tell → staff
Ms Powell, who has accepted Sir David’s recommendation, said: “But as Education Secretary, I am clear I would not expect to see teachers coming to school or college wearing or displaying any political material.”
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teachers → accept → material
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott has argued that the review’s recommendations on education unions were “not strong enough”.
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recommendations → argue → unions
The report acknowledged that some Jewish staff feel “excluded or insufficiently supported” by education unions due to activity and messaging relating to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
But it did not conclude that education unions are “inherently antisemitic”, and instead it called on unions to “strengthen efforts” to address antisemitism.
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it → acknowledge → antisemitism
Ms Trott said: “Asking them to examine their own actions is allowing them to mark their own homework, and we already know that this doesn’t work.”
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this → say → homework
Students, parents and teachers were urged to share their experiences for the Government-commissioned review between April and July.
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Students → urge → April
Karen Newman, vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “The evidence gathered by Sir David Bell showing the scale of the challenges is sobering, and makes clear the need for a determined and consistent approach.
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need → say → approach
“Treating antisemitism in schools as a safeguarding issue will have the benefit of creating an explicit duty on all schools to address this as they would any other threat to children’s safety, and will strengthen accountability.”
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they → treat → accountability
She added: “We remain concerned about undue external influence on schools driven by narrow political agendas, and tendentious materials seeping into schools and increasing disharmony, and we will continue to press for vigilance against this.”
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we → add → this
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “Unfortunately, there are differing views on what may or may not constitute antisemitism and what is a legitimate expression of views over the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
uncertain
what → say → Israel
“Schools and colleges are often caught in the middle of divisive issues and find themselves having to navigate between strongly held opinions on either side of an argument.
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themselves → catch → argument
“It is important that teachers are able to facilitate important conversations as this is key to the understanding of complex issues.
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this → facilitate → issues
They must be able to do this with confidence.
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They → do → confidence
The Aporia
