The children’s minister has insisted that the implementation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in education will not stifle “legitimate political debate” about the conflict in the Middle East.
The Department for Education is urging schools and colleges to formally adopt the definition after accepting the move as one of the 27 recommendations issued by Sir David Bell, a former top civil servant at the department, in his landmark review on antisemitism in the sector.
Sir David’s report found that three in five Jewish sixth form pupils have faced antisemitism, but that many have not reported it as they did not believe the allegation would be taken seriously.
As well as adopting the IHRA definition, the report also recommended that the department issue new guidance for teachers and learning materials for pupils on the Israel-Palestine conflict, as well as limits on teachers’ political expression, such as in the form of pro-Palestine badges.
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