The Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) had been tasked by the government with examining how school authorities, staff, and pupils experienced antisemitism in schools, as well as how educational institutions worked to prevent it. The newly published report showed that antisemitism had manifested in multiple ways within the school environment—often in forms that were difficult to detect.
As part of its national action plan against racism and hate crimes, the Swedish government had commissioned Skolverket to conduct a comprehensive study on antisemitism across the school system. The government underlined the need for deeper and more up-to-date knowledge of how various forms of racism appeared in educational settings. In parallel, Sweden had adopted a broader national strategy aimed at strengthening Jewish life and countering antisemitism.
“Our assignment had been to investigate how school authorities, teachers, and pupils perceived antisemitic expressions, incidents, and attitudes in school. We were also asked to report on the measures schools took to counter antisemitism,” explained Lars Thornberg, Head of Unit at Skolverket.
The study was based on interviews with school authorities, headteachers, teachers, and pupils, as well as surveys distributed to school authorities and teaching staff. The findings showed that antisemitism could be both deliberate and unconscious. “It may have involved unreflective language that pupils described as jokes or casual banter in the corridors. This risked normalising antisemitism and allowing it to spread within and beyond the school environment,” Thornberg noted.
The report also highlighted considerable variation between schools, both in the types of antisemitic expressions reported and in the challenges each institution faced. Some schools encountered far greater difficulties than others. Experiences of antisemitism—and the fear of being subjected to it—could influence whether Jewish pupils felt comfortable being open about their identity. “We viewed these results with great concern. Schools had to be safe spaces, and no pupil should have been subjected to antisemitism. Experiences of vulnerability created insecurity and could hinder children’s and pupils’ equal opportunities to learn and develop,” Thornberg emphasised.
The study further revealed wide discrepancies in how school authorities perceived the prevalence of antisemitic expressions within their institutions. Strong and informed leadership was shown to play a crucial role in shaping a school’s capacity to address the issue effectively. “Where there was awareness of how antisemitism might manifest, school authorities were better positioned to support schools. However, this required the ability to recognise the various expressions of antisemitism—something that was not always in place,” said Thornberg.
While no single intervention had been proven universally effective—largely due to the difficulty of measuring the impact of anti-antisemitism initiatives—the study highlighted several measures that contributed to meaningful progress, complementing broader work on democracy and core values. Interviewed headteachers, teachers, and pupils pointed to the importance of increasing visibility and education on antisemitism at all levels, ensuring adequate space in the curriculum for teaching about antisemitism, and creating a secure learning environment for both staff and pupils. “Schools had to work both broadly on democracy and core values, and specifically on deepening knowledge about antisemitism while being able to respond to specific incidents,” Thornberg noted.
The findings drew on interviews with school authorities, headteachers, teachers, and pupils, alongside surveys completed by school authorities and Skolverket’s teacher panel. Skolverket also reviewed existing research and prior studies, and consulted relevant stakeholders in the field.
To support schools, Skolverket offered guidance tailored to the diverse forms of antisemitism present in educational settings. This included advice on safety and wellbeing, support for handling potentially sensitive or contentious issues, and resources to prevent degrading treatment, harassment, and discrimination. The agency also provided guidance for systematic work on democracy and human rights, both in the overall school environment and within teaching content.
All support was grounded in evidence-based approaches designed to ensure that schools remained safe spaces for every pupil, while equipping children and young people with the knowledge and skills needed for active participation in a democratic society.
