Teachers to get extra training to tackle classroom toxic influencers

All secondary school teachers in London are to be offered training to help them crack down on sexism and misogyny in the classroom.

Training is being held in every London borough in a fresh push to ensure all teachers can confidently use new materials that challenge extreme misogynistic views that are spreading in schools.

Teachers have raised concerns that the views of some schoolboys are being coloured by online influencers such as Andrew Tate, who has said that women are partly responsible for being raped and that they “belong” to men.

Mayor Sadiq Khan, with art and education charity Tender, has launched a toolkit of lesson plans and workshop ideas that challenge sexist attitudes. Tender is running training sessions for teachers across the city to show them how best to use the material in lessons.

Susie McDonald, CEO of Tender, said: “The rise in harmful sexist and misogynistic attitudes among young people requires urgent action. Such attitudes play a significant role in increasing domestic abuse and sexual violence — both in the short term and long.”

She added: “Influencers exploit any fears and insecurities that boys and young men may have about their sense of identity and what it means to be male. It’s important young men are not attacked for being curious about these messages, but encouraged to discuss, dissect and ultimately conclude themselves that these views are negative.”

As part of the series of lesson plans, schoolboys are taught they can control their actions and there is no excuse for a woman being physically assaulted or emotionally abused. One activity aims to teach children that regardless of whether a woman has “nagged, disrespected, flirted or cheated” she does not deserve to be attacked.

Guidance to teachers using the lesson plan states: “The idea that someone who feels provoked has no responsibility for their actions should be challenged. In general, people who are violent or abusive to their partners are capable of controlling their actions but choose to use abuse as an effective means of getting what they want.”

The lesson plans have been designed to be used in PSHE or Relationships and Sex Education lessons, to be made available to all London secondary schools.

The lessons also cover topics such as the dangers of sharing explicit images, revenge porn, FGM and forced marriage.

Sophie Linden, the deputy mayor for policing and crime, said: “Our funding will help build a safer London for everyone.” Tender will launch a toolkit for primary school teachers in the summer.