Overview
- Participation fell from more than 2,000 secondary schools in 2023 to fewer than 1,200 in 2024 and 854 in 2025, out of roughly 4,200 UK secondary schools, according to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
- Reporters and commentators link the decline to polarisation following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and debates over Israel and Gaza.
- Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis warns some teachers are choosing not to hold events to avoid controversy and says the day is an act of human memory, not a platform for political debate.
- The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust urges teachers to run lessons and assemblies and provides resources under the 2026 theme titled 'bridging generations'.
- Safety concerns persisted locally, with Bristol Brunel Academy postponing a visit by MP Damien Egan after plans for a protest, following police advice and arranging a new date.