Secondary school teacher Charlotte Carson characterises Andrew Tate, the internet influencer who serves as a role model for many of the lads at her Belfast school, as intelligent, articulate, and disciplined.
She claims that Andrew Tate’s sad, insecure, and support of “Taliban ideas” regarding how to treat women is the real issue.
Teachers must figure out how to react as they face more and more students in schools around the UK who adore Tate.
In a concentrated effort to counteract his effect, some are actively disseminating guidelines on how to talk about him.
Despite being banned from TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for making misogynistic comments, Tate, a former kickboxer, has millions of online fans.
He and his brother Tristan are both being jailed in Romania as part of an investigation into claims of rape and people trafficking, both of which they vehemently deny.
According to Ms. Carson, 46, who teaches Learning for Life and Work, Northern Ireland’s version of PSHE in English schools, “a lot of the boys can see that there are parts of Andrew Tate that they respect and admire, and then there are parts that they don’t — they know that he says a lot of terrible things.”
But he’s also glamorous, attractive, and does a lot of things that they consider cool.
She uses an image of Tate smoking a cigar while surrounded by fancy cars as an example. Ms. Carson and her fellow teachers consider this image to be a “joke,” nearly a “cartoon” of “pathetic insecurity,” but some of her students are ready to defend what Tate stands for.
One student told her that even if Tate were found guilty of the crimes for which he has been charged, they would still respect him.
“Yes, they replied. They said, “Miss, you still love them even if they commit a crime.””
The student, according to Ms. Carson, subsequently changed their minds and acknowledged that they didn’t truly consider Tate as family; nonetheless, the quick response might indicate a wish to maintain his status.
We all desire to elevate our role models above the muck, claims Ms. Carson, who started a project in 2016 to assist schools in forming feminist communities.
While acknowledging that parents also have a duty to teach their children, Ms. Carson says she will continue to push her students about the topics covered in Tate’s programme.
Parents must realise that Andrew Tate will educate their children about the world if they don’t.
Tate has not provided a statement in response to the BBC’s request.
Tate’s content is nothing new, according to Royal Grammar School in Newcastle staff members who have been educating students about gender-based violence for years; however, in the new academic year, they “had to acknowledge that he was having a lot of influence on the students,” according to deputy head Sarah Longville.
Tate’s “manipulative behaviour” has been discussed by teachers during PSHE courses, and the school has also provided guidance to parents on how to discuss the matter with their children.
The majority of the admiration for Tate’s lifestyle that Ms. Longville observes in her students is only “irritating”; nevertheless, on occasion, his impact has been more detrimental.
She explains, “We have had to deal with the usage of pretty strong terms, like ‘rape,’ being used without younger children realising the significance and power of that word.
“Whether Tate is responsible or not, I believe he may have some influence.
They’re merely speaking in a language that they don’t understand, not because they’re awful kids.
An comprehensive lesson plan on Tate has been created by St. Dunstan’s, a fee-paying school in Catford, London, with content catered to various age levels.
Year 8 students may receive instruction on preconceptions and their historical roots, while older students may participate in a lesson about Tate that is more discussion-based.
Jonathan Holmes, the deputy head, told the BBC that after learning what the students already know about the subject, “we would then like to facilitate discussion about the impact of echo chambers, the impact of the sense that those views are being endorsed online, giving the appearance that they are being endorsed by quite a wide audience – when in fact they aren’t – and getting them to understand the credibility of those views.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded to a question from Labour on Wednesday about how schools should deal with students who have been “brainwashed” by Tate by mentioning the Online Safety Bill, which requires tech companies to enforce age restrictions to shield kids from inappropriate online content.
According to the Department for Education, it has also released guidelines for English schools on how to recognise problems like misogyny and gender stereotypes.
Schools are also attempting to concentrate on other role models that students could turn to.
“There are a tonne of extremely amazing males who serve as fantastic role models for young people. If you consider individuals like Marcus Rashford, who is prosperous, healthy, and possesses extraordinary levels of empathy and understanding, “According to BBC 5Live’s Helen Hinde, assistant head at Southport’s Meols Cop High School.
We must all work together and cooperatively to help young guys rethink masculinity and move away from the harmful mindset promoted by people like Tate.
How to talk to your child about Andrew Tate
For Andrew Tate, it’s been a wild year on social media.
Teenagers began to discover videos of him, some of which were targeting women and spreading misogyny, all over their social media feeds throughout the summer, and his notoriety quickly grew.
What should you do if you believe your child may have watched one of these videos on their social media feeds?
According to professionals in child welfare, parents should talk to their children about the content they are exposed to online and should inquire about influences like Tate.
Describe the algorithm’s operation and its propensity to suggest reactive and emotional content. You don’t have to agree with or even enjoy what you’re viewing just because an automated algorithm on social media is pushing a video to your page.
Encourage children to consider the source of anything they read or see online, especially if it seems to be being actively thrust onto them.
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