Far-Right Influence on Social Media a Growing Concern for Teachers
The annual conference of the NASUWT teaching union is set to debate a motion that highlights the growing concern of far-right and populist movements shifting their recruitment efforts to social media, messaging, and online gaming platforms. The motion comes amid reports of teachers encountering increasing numbers of pupils influenced by extremist ideologies, with some as young as 10 years old.
According to the NASUWT, teachers are facing challenges in dealing with pupils who are being influenced by far-right and populist figures, including Andrew Tate. One teacher, who spoke to the BBC, revealed that she had experienced instances where boys had refused to speak to her, opting instead to communicate with a male teaching assistant, due to their admiration for Tate. "I have had boys refuse to speak to me and speak to a male teaching assistant instead because I am a woman and they follow Andrew Tate and think he is amazing with all his cars and women… These were 10-year-olds," she said.
The issue is not limited to primary education, with secondary school teachers also reporting instances of pupils expressing extremist views. Another teacher told the BBC that a group of boys in her secondary English class had written a persuasive essay on why Andrew Tate was the "GOAT" (greatest of all time), which included praise for his views on women being a man’s property. The teacher reported that all the parents of the pupils involved were contacted and were "appalled" by their children’s actions.
The influence of far-right and populist figures on young people has been a growing concern, with BBC reporting in 2023 that Andrew Tate had claimed he was a "force for good" when questioned about the potential harm his views on women could cause to young people.
Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, has called for urgent action to safeguard children and young people from the influence of far-right populists and extremists. "There is an urgent need for concerted action involving schools, colleges and other agencies to safeguard all children and young people from the dangerous influence of far-right populists and extremists," he said. "Teachers cannot be left alone to deal with these problems."
The NASUWT’s concerns are set to be debated at its annual conference in Liverpool this weekend, with union members discussing motions that aim to address the issue of far-right influence on social media. The union is seeking to highlight the need for a coordinated approach to tackling the problem, which it believes requires a comprehensive strategy involving schools, colleges, and other agencies.
As the debate continues, it is clear that the issue of far-right influence on young people is a complex and multifaceted problem that requires a concerted effort to address. As the BBC reports, the NASUWT’s concerns are a timely reminder of the need for vigilance in the face of extremist ideologies and the importance of protecting children and young people from harm.
