The government is set to invest £7 million funding in tackling antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities.

Antisemitic incidents on university campuses increased by 465 per cent in the first five months of this year, according to the Department for Education.

Announced on the anniversary of Hamas’s atrocities on October 7, the government said the funding will aim to educate people about antisemitism and better equip educational establishments stamp out antisemitic abuse.

On Monday, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson visited a North London Jewish school to meet students and staff and demonstrate support for the Jewish community.

In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Phillipson said the government was “resolutely committed” to tackling antisemitic abuse.

“It is completely unacceptable for Jewish students to feel they cannot fully participate in university life out of fear for their safety. All students, regardless of race or religion, should be free to focus on their studies rather than worry about their safety,” she said.

£500,000 of the £7 million funding has been allocated to the University Jewish Chaplaincy for welfare support for Jewish students in universities.

Some of the funding will also go towards a project to upskill teachers and university staff in tackling antisemitism. It will also pay for an innovation fund to tackle antisemitism in education, with a slightly broader focus on building resilience to misinformation.

Phillipson said it was “vitally important that staff in our education system have the confidence and skills to act quickly to root out antisemitism as soon as it emerges”.

The funding had originally been pledged by the previous Conservative government but the election intervened.