Holocaust School Lessons to Be Improved After 'Shocking' Antisemitism Review
BBC Homepage
Skip to content
Accessibility Help
Your account
Home
- News
- Sport
- Earth
- Reel
- Worklife
- Travel
- Culture
- Future
- Music
- TV
- Weather
- Sounds
More menu
- Search BBC
BBC News
Menu
- Home
- Climate
- World
- UK
- Business
- Tech
- Science
- Entertainment & Arts
- Health
- In Pictures
BBC Verify
Newsbeat
Holocaust School Lessons to Be Improved After 'Shocking' Antisemitism Review
By Judith Moritz, Special correspondent, and Daniel Wittenberg, senior producer
Published 21 October 2026, 15:39 BST
Updated 32 minutes ago
Education Secretary Lucy Powell announces that the government will "update and strengthen" Holocaust education in schools following a major review that highlights the "shocking scale" of antisemitism in British society.
Key Takeaways:
-
Antisemitism as a Distinct Category of Harm: Schools and colleges in England will be required to recognize antisemitism as a unique harm and take explicit action against it, treating it as a specific safeguarding risk.
-
Government-Commissioned Review: Led by former Ofsted chief inspector Sir David Bell, the review presented its findings to Parliament on Wednesday.
-
Challenging Holocaust Education: Powell emphasizes the need for new lessons that will "challenge" some concepts held by young people regarding antisemitism.
-
Political Impartiality for Teachers: The review calls for stronger guidance on political impartiality, stating that teachers should not bring personal political views into the classroom but should discuss important topics without avoidance.
Background:
-
Recent High-Profile Incidents: The review was launched in response to incidents like the attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester (2025), emphasizing the urgency of the issue.
-
Comprehensive Review Findings: The BBC previously revealed the Bell review's findings, including regular harassment and abuse of Jewish schoolchildren and concerns about security arrangements in some Jewish schools.
-
Recommendations: The review suggests setting up a hotline for school leaders to access immediate advice on tackling antisemitism and calls for Holocaust education to be enhanced across all schools and colleges.
Sir David Bell's Perspective:
"This is not just a report for Jewish children in Jewish schools. This is for all children and young people in all schools and colleges. We know that antisemitism crosses all boundaries."