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UK Schools Scale Back Holocaust Memorial Events as Antisemitism Review Is Launched

Officials cite politicisation alongside community pressure as reasons teachers are stepping back from Holocaust Memorial Day activities.

Overview

  • Participation fell from more than 2,000 secondary schools in 2023 to fewer than 1,200 in 2024 and 854 in 2025, according to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
  • Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has ordered a review of antisemitism in schools and pledged stronger support for leaders to tackle prejudice.
  • Ofsted will inspect Bristol Brunel Academy after Labour MP Damien Egan’s visit was postponed over planned protests, and the academy trust has been asked to commission an independent investigation.
  • Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis warns that turning remembrance into a political battleground is leading some teachers to avoid marking January 27 altogether.
  • The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is supplying resources built around the 2026 theme, “bridging generations,” as leaders stress urgency with survivor testimony dwindling.