'Brainwashing a generation': UK schools fight Andrew Tate views
Alarmed by the popularity of an online personality with their students, educators are mobilizing to fight against the sexism he promotes.
As seventh graders sat in a lecture hall at a school near London, the subject matter was not human rights, historical events or different religions. "Andrew Tate," said a teacher, pointing to a photograph projected onto the wall. "What do you know about this man?"
Some boys chuckled at the mention of Mr. Tate, a social media influencer notorious for his misogynistic comments. One boy said he liked him because "he has strong masculinity", fast cars and a fit body. The teacher projected some of Mr. Tate's assertions, including that raped women should take some responsibility. A few boys agreed.
"He's wrong," said the teacher, Jake White. "It's a pile of rubbish."
In schools across Britain, educators are stepping up to fight Mr Tate's messages, belatedly realizing the outsized influence he has among them. students. A former British-American kickboxer, Mr Tate lured millions with videos glorifying wealth and a particularly virulent brand of male machismo, before being banned from many mainstream social media sites last summer. p>
In December, Mr. Tate, 36, and his brother and business partner, Tristan Tate, were arrested in Romania on charges of rape and human trafficking, and were still in prison. Their local lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, said in an interview with Turkish TV channel TRT that they were innocent.
Neither arrests nor social media bans have stopped Mr. Tate's messages from proliferating among young people, and his videos remain available online. Mr Tate said women 'belong' to men, need to stay home and need direction from men. He portrayed men as victims of feminism and false accusations of rape, belittled men who did not adhere to his ways, and promoted questionable enrichment schemes.
As his video and audio snippets spread from TikTok to school hallways, adults became aware of Mr. Tate's existence and traction.
Believing that schools are a microcosm of society - and a glimpse into its future - educators said targeting Mr Tate's influence early was crucial. Since last autumn, principals have been sending letters to parents warning of its reach, and the UK education secretary has said influencers like Mr Tate could reverse progress made in tackling sexism. p>
British schools already had what authorities recognized was an endemic culture of student sexual harassment, leaving both young girls and boys feel victimized and often unsure of the rules of interaction. Now, educators unexpectedly find themselves spending time in class discussing Mr. Tate rather than their lessons.
"I'm sad I took an important time in the program to talk about Andrew Tate,” said Chloe Stant...
Alarmed by the popularity of an online personality with their students, educators are mobilizing to fight against the sexism he promotes.
As seventh graders sat in a lecture hall at a school near London, the subject matter was not human rights, historical events or different religions. "Andrew Tate," said a teacher, pointing to a photograph projected onto the wall. "What do you know about this man?"
Some boys chuckled at the mention of Mr. Tate, a social media influencer notorious for his misogynistic comments. One boy said he liked him because "he has strong masculinity", fast cars and a fit body. The teacher projected some of Mr. Tate's assertions, including that raped women should take some responsibility. A few boys agreed.
"He's wrong," said the teacher, Jake White. "It's a pile of rubbish."
In schools across Britain, educators are stepping up to fight Mr Tate's messages, belatedly realizing the outsized influence he has among them. students. A former British-American kickboxer, Mr Tate lured millions with videos glorifying wealth and a particularly virulent brand of male machismo, before being banned from many mainstream social media sites last summer. p>
In December, Mr. Tate, 36, and his brother and business partner, Tristan Tate, were arrested in Romania on charges of rape and human trafficking, and were still in prison. Their local lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, said in an interview with Turkish TV channel TRT that they were innocent.
Neither arrests nor social media bans have stopped Mr. Tate's messages from proliferating among young people, and his videos remain available online. Mr Tate said women 'belong' to men, need to stay home and need direction from men. He portrayed men as victims of feminism and false accusations of rape, belittled men who did not adhere to his ways, and promoted questionable enrichment schemes.
As his video and audio snippets spread from TikTok to school hallways, adults became aware of Mr. Tate's existence and traction.
Believing that schools are a microcosm of society - and a glimpse into its future - educators said targeting Mr Tate's influence early was crucial. Since last autumn, principals have been sending letters to parents warning of its reach, and the UK education secretary has said influencers like Mr Tate could reverse progress made in tackling sexism. p>
British schools already had what authorities recognized was an endemic culture of student sexual harassment, leaving both young girls and boys feel victimized and often unsure of the rules of interaction. Now, educators unexpectedly find themselves spending time in class discussing Mr. Tate rather than their lessons.
"I'm sad I took an important time in the program to talk about Andrew Tate,” said Chloe Stant...
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