The leader of a review into antisemitism in England’s schools and colleges said Jewish schoolchildren are facing “regular and hostile abuse”.
Sir David Bell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there had been a “sad increase in the number of antisemitic incidents reported in schools and colleges”.
Discussing Jewish faith schools, Sir David said: “The level of physical security is quite extraordinary.
“I don’t think that’s really appreciated that we have this group of children and young people in this country who are subject not just to those security measures, but also to regular and hostile abuse.
“That is not just abuse from other young people. The students I spoke to in London were getting quite a bit of abuse from adults as well.
“So I think this is really worrying, and I think very concerning for this group of schoolchildren.”
He said Jewish children and young people "are facing a pressure – and indeed one might say even a crisis – that is not the experience of other communities in this country".
Sir David added: “One of the features of the review so far is a desire for more and better materials in identifying antisemitism, talking about antisemitism and tackling it, so I’ll be looking at a range of educational materials.”
He said people had highlighted the “pernicious impact” of social media, adding: “Very quickly, conspiracy theories spread via social media, antisemitic tropes, and other offensive material is there.
“We’ve got to try to, if we can, stop at the source, those kinds of materials being available to children and young people.”
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