Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of antisemitic incidents in universities, and what steps they are taking in response to such incidents.

The department is deeply concerned about the sharp rise in antisemitic incidents and this government takes antisemitism extremely seriously. The department continues to liaise closely with Community Security Trust who provide regular updates on the number of antisemitic incidents reported in higher education (HE) since 7 October.

The Secretary of State and the Minister for Skills wrote to all schools, colleges and universities on 11 October, urging them to respond swiftly to hate-related incidents and actively reassure Jewish students that they can study without fear of harassment or intimidation. The Minister for Skills wrote again to Vice Chancellors on 16th November, further emphasising the use of disciplinary measures and the importance of police engagement, as well as the suspension of student visas where the student is a foreign national. This was one of the key actions set out in the five-point plan for tackling antisemitism in HE, which was published on 5 November. Details of the plan can be accessed at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/11/05/how-were-protecting-jewish-students-on-university-campuses/.

A key element of the plan is the development and implementation of a Quality Seal, which is a framework of measures that will allow universities to demonstrate support for Jewish students and staff. The Quality Seal will be based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism and will allow universities to demonstrate tangible evidence of its adoption and integration into their policies and practice.

​The department continues to remind providers of their obligations under the prevent duty, where they should be working to prevent people from being drawn into or supporting terrorism. There is an online ‘Reporting Extremism’ form where members of the public can raise concerns to the department directly. Where concerns have arisen, departmental officials have reached out to relevant providers to ensure that appropriate action has been taken, including reporting issues to the police where appropriate.