School pupils will get lessons on how to call out misogyny because of the impact of influencers such as Andrew Tate, Labour has vowed.
Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson raised the alarm about the “scourge of misogyny” in classrooms as female teachers and children face rising verbal abuse. Her party has pledged to reform the national curriculum so young people can learn digital literacy skills to deal with online hate and misinformation.
The Labour frontbencher has pledged to create mentoring schemes for older schoolboys to coach younger boys in recognising and stopping misogyny. She has also vowed to roll out mental health counsellors in every school to support young people in recognising harmful behaviour.
Concerns have been raised over male pupils being exposed to misogynistic content that is rapidly spreading on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Influencer Tate, a self-proclaimed “misogynist”, is among those who have been blamed for targeting boys and young men with hateful material online. He is currently facing trial in Romania charged with rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.
Young people spent an increased amount of time online and on social media when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020. According to House of Commons Library analysis, the number of Ofsted reports containing the phrase sexual harassment surged to 106 in 2022, compared with just three in 2019.
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Seven in ten female teachers in the UK have experienced misogyny in schools, according to polling by the NASUWT teachers’ union in 2022. If it wins a general election, Labour will reform Ofsted inspections and ensure it conducts new annual safeguarding checks to quickly identify patterns of risky or harmful behaviour.
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Ms Phillipson said: “Misogyny is a growing scourge in our classrooms and if we fail to tackle it now, we store up huge problems for society in years to come. Female pupils and teachers deserve the right to a safe space, but it is evident that content from influencers such as Andrew Tate is having a lasting and damaging impact on boys and young men.
“Parents across the country are rightly concerned about the impact this is having on children, particularly the sexual harassment being suffered by young women and girls. That is why I have set out measures today to equip schools with the tools they need to rid our education system of these misogynistic views, teach our children right from wrong, and implement better safeguarding measures.”
Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT, welcomed Labour’s plans as he said: “We know from reports from members, our casework and previous research that sexual harassment and sexist abuse towards both female teachers and pupils in schools and colleges is commonplace and that the majority of incidents fail to be reported or dealt with effectively.
“Women and girls have a right to be afforded safety, security and respect at all times. We need greater transparency and a climate that encourages unacceptable behaviours to be reported in the confidence that action will be taken. Sexism and misogyny have no place in our schools and colleges and it is vital that every action that can be taken is taken to stamp out such abuse.”
Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Schools will welcome more support about how to respond to the online sexism and sexual harassment which young people encounter. Labour have recognised that the curriculum and what skills are valued and taught must fit the modern day.
“A greater focus on digital literacy across the curriculum is much needed and these are the areas that warrant more prominence in a future curriculum review. Schools, colleges, parents and the social media giants need to work together and play a role in preventing online sexism and responding to its costs for young people.”
Schools Minister Damian Hinds said: “Misogynistic language or behaviour should never be tolerated, and we have a plan in place to support schools to tackle it. The mandatory RSHE curriculum includes teaching on healthy relationships and online safety, our behaviour guidance helps schools stamp out inappropriate behaviour, social media firms are now required by law to protect children from harmful content online, and just last week, the Education Secretary took robust action by prohibiting the use of mobile phones in schools.”
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