Schools across England are struggling with the emotional turmoil set off by the terrorist attacks on Israel last month and the impact on students, parents and teachers.
Specialist organisations such as the Community Security Trust and Tell Mama say they are seeing a big increase in reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia involving schools and pupils since the 7 October attacks and Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
In one case, police were called to Woodford County high school for girls, a grammar school in the London borough of Redbridge, after Islamophobic graffiti was found in a toilet on Friday. According to images posted on social media, the graffiti said: “Death to Gaza, death to Arabs, death to Muslims.”
Zara Mohammed, the secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “The ongoing war on Gaza, Palestine, is gravely impacting communities here in Britain. Divisive political rhetoric is fuelling Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism and resulting in the targeting of British Muslims and the undermining of the Palestinian cause.
“It’s worrying to think a young person is filled with such hate. Schools and colleges should be inclusive, safe places for all our young people.”
Jo Pomeroy, Woodford County high’s headteacher, told parents that a formal investigation had been launched and that police would be present outside the school this week.
She said assemblies had been held “condemning the anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and Islamophobic acts of hate speech, acknowledging the shock, hurt and anger for everyone but most particularly for Muslim members of our school community, both students, families and staff”.
