Racist and anti-Semitic acts sharply increased at schools last year, with more than 3,600 cases recorded

In a context marked by the conflict in the Middle East, racist and anti-Semitic acts are experiencing an alarming increase in schools. National Education has identified more than 3,600 in the 2023-2024 school year, a figure multiplied by almost three over one year, the ministry revealed Thursday October 3, confirming figures given by RMC.

The new Minister of National Education, Anne Genetet, who met the rectors of academies on Thursday morning, asked them “the greatest vigilance and the most precise reporting of anti-Semitic acts – and more broadly hate speech or acts – as well as fair and proportionate sanctions, in addition to the awareness and prevention actions planned by teachers”.

In detail, anti-Semitic acts have increased more than fourfold over one year, reaching 1,670 occurrences. Racist acts remain the most numerous and have also seen a significant increase, since 1,960 racist acts were reported, almost twice as many as during the previous school year. During the 2022-2023 school year, 400 anti-Semitic acts and 870 racist acts were reported, according to figures communicated by the ministry.

In May, the Ministry of National Education reported 1,434 racist and anti-Semitic acts following the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on October 7, but these figures only covered the period from December to March, he said. -he said on Thursday. The ministry then announced that, according to its feedback, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could explain “a part” of these facts, “because of the tensions it causes and the atmosphere that results from it, insults being the majority in the facts recorded.”