Why misogyny lessons for schoolboys will backfire |
All parents and teachers of teenagers will know two things. The first is that teenagers are the human equivalent of seismometers when it comes to perceived unfairness: they are acutely sensitive to any injustice or unequal treatment, and if they feel they are not being treated the same as their peers, this can quickly erupt into an outburst of outrage or denial.
The second is that, try as we might, parents and teachers are not cool. We are not cool at the best of times, but we are definitely not cool when we are telling teenagers not to do something – and there is always the risk that lecturing them about how dangerous or transgressive something is only makes it all the more appealing.
It is for these two reasons that Labour’s plans to ‘tackle misogyny in the classroom’, however well-intentioned, will most likely backfire. The proposed £20 million package includes specialist training for teachers, behavioural courses for high-risk pupils and a new helpline for teenagers to get support for concerns about abuse in their own relationships.
We cannot put voices like Andrew Tate’s back into Pandora’ box
These are all good ideas in principle, but teachers and schools simply do not have the time or space to explore these issues in........