Tackling misogyny is vital, London mayor tells primary schools

Combating the “pernicious influence” of misogynists such as Andrew Tate in primary schools is a vital part of teaching children about equality and respect, the mayor of London has told teachers.

Sadiq Khan has written to every primary school in London urging them to counter the online misogyny of influencers such as Tate through new classes and workshops that are being set up across the capital as part of plans to tackle violence against women and girls.

“It’s never too early to start educating young Londoners about the need to treat one another fairly and kindly,” Khan said. “There has never been a more important time to counter the pernicious influence of those who preach misogyny online. We must ensure that young people are clear what healthy and respectful relationships are about before they start seeing content from individuals like Andrew Tate online.”

The mayor’s office has launched a £1m toolkit to help teachers counter dangerous messages from influencers after research revealed that one in three young males have a positive view of Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist, and one in 10 children have watched pornography by the time they are nine.

The toolkit, developed by the healthy relationships charity Tender, trains teachers how to run workshops, drama and interactive classroom sessions to teach nine- to 11-year-olds how to recognise and call out inequality and sexism.

Children will be taught to identify positive aspects of friendships and also look at potential red flags such as controlling behaviour, the misuse of pressure and power in relationships. Pupils will be taught what their rights are and where they can seek support.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the content would be “age-appropriate” for primary-age children and would not cover sex or pornography.

Sex and relationships education has been compulsory in English schools since 2019. By May this year the previous government was looking to roll it back and had put forward new draft guidance to limit what children could be taught.

Experts argue that if the Labour government is to achieve its aim of halving violence against women and girls in a decade, investing in high-quality education is vital.

Susie McDonald, the chief executive of Tender, acknowledged that discussing gender inequality and healthy relationships could be difficult, but said primary school was a critical time for children to learn about communication, empathy and respect.

“It’s imperative that children learn about healthy relationships and are supported to build positive attitudes and behaviours,” she said. “By challenging potentially problematic attitudes at their root, we can prevent a culture of abuse against women and girls.”

The full launch comes after a trial in which 230 teachers received training. According to research from Tender, 80% of teachers “reported increased confidence to support children and young people about healthy relationships” after using the tool.

Khan said City Hall was committed to a public health approach to combating violence against women and girls, pointing to £2m of funding for the mayor’s violence reduction unit, and the #HaveAWord campaign and allyship training in secondary schools.

“I will continue to do everything within my power to ensure that ending violence against women and girls is treated with the utmost urgency both by our police and society as a whole to build a safer London for all,” Khan said.