The acting leader of a teaching union has been accused of “shamefully letting down Jewish members” after a survey showed a horrific rise in antisemitic incidents in schools.
A survey conducted by the NASUWT union found 90% of Jewish teachers believed their employers need more training on recognising and challenging antisemitism.
Worryingly 51% of Jewish teachers have experienced antisemitism in the workplace over the past year – with 78% of these personally experiencing anti-Jewish abuse.
The figures for those working in non-faith schools showed 79% of respondents had experienced antisemitism, compared to 29% of respondents working in faith schools.
Matt Wrack
Asked about the nature of the antisemitic abuse 39% said they had been subjected to Nazi-related comments, with 44% saying they have seen swastika graffiti in their schools.
In the survey of 90% of Jewish teachers said their employers need more training on recognising and challenging antisemitism.
But responding to the survey Matt Wrack, acting general secretary of NASUWT, appeared to put the problem of rising Jew-hate down to the “dangerous rhetoric from far-right movements” in a statement published on the union website.
There was no reference at all in his statement of the need to tackle antisemitism arising from far-left or Islamist groups in the aftermath of the October 7th Hamas terror attack.
Wrack said he was writing to Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson to ask that the Department for Education provides guidance for schools on dealing with antisemitism and all forms of racism.
One Jewish union member, speaking anonymously, told Jewish News:”Wrack’s response to this survey is simply abysmal.
He is shamefully letting down Jewish members by failing to address where much of the antisemitism is coming from over the past year or so.
“Yes, there’s a problem with the far-right, but perhaps Wrack should look rather more closely at those around him to see where the problem is coming from. ”
Russell Langer, director of public affairs at the Jewish Leadership Council added:” This survey clearly demonstrates the shocking levels of antisemitism being experienced by Jewish teachers.
“We support the call for increased guidance to assist schools in stamping out this hatred.
“However, to truly understand this trend, it is fundamental to see it within the context of the rise in antisemitism since the Hamas attack in October 2023.
“Any government guidance or union which truly wishes to address this issue must emphasise that it is not limited to the far-right but also far-left and Islamist extremists.”
Publishing further statistics from the survey, the NASUWT said 56% of Jewish members reported that the antisemitism included “jokes and banter,” and 47% report insults and taunts.
Fifty-two percent of respondents felt that when they reported issues, appropriate action was not taken to deal with the problem.
In his response Wrack said: “NASUWT stands firmly with any teacher suffering discrimination due to their religion or ethnicity. Schools and colleges have a legal responsibility to safeguard teachers and pupils from all forms of abuse. They urgently require more support from government in this complex area.
“Our members tell us that misinformation on social media, including dangerous rhetoric from far-right movements and stereotyping of Jewish people, is fuelling a rise in antisemitic and racist abuse in schools. Some teachers are fearful of even disclosing their religion at work. This cannot be allowed to continue.
“A third of respondents to our survey did not feel they could report antisemitism to their employers, and for those that did, more than half said appropriate action was not taken. It is clear that schools need swift, strong support in tackling antisemitism so that Jewish teachers and pupils can feel safe.
“Antisemitism does not happen in isolation.
“We know that many forms of racist abuse are occurring in education settings and will be looking at this closely. We are asking Bridget Phillipson to meet with us to galvanise action on these unacceptable trends. If we are going to stamp out discrimination in all its insidious forms, we need visible leadership from the government.”
Wrack, a hard-Left political activist with no teaching experience, has a troubling history of downplaying antisemitism, including describing the Labour Party’s antisemitism crisis under Jeremy Corbyn as a “so-called furore.”
He was the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) until his re-election bid was defeated in January, but was surprisingly appointed general secretary of the largest and most moderate teachers union, in an uncontested election.
This has led to a week of legal challenges and the reopening of nominations for the post with Neil Butler – a veteran teacher and former national officer for Wales – now standing to become the next general secretary.
Some NASUWT members,including many Jewish teachers, fear that Wrack is too close to Daniel Kebede, the hard-left NEU general secretary, and wants to see a merger between the two unions.
