AdvertisementAdvertisementBritain's Queen Camilla meets with school children in Bradford, England, during a visit to celebrate the city's year as UK City of Culture, Thursday May 15, 2025. (Photo: AP/Phil Noble)16 Jul 2025 02:19AM (Updated: 16 Jul 2025 02:25AM) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST LONDON: English schools will begin teaching students how to recognise and resist misogynistic content online, the UK government said on Tuesday (Jul 15), in response to growing concerns over the influence of so-called manosphere figures like Andrew Tate.The new lessons, aimed at children aged 11 to 18, will cover topics such as 'incel' (involuntary celibate) culture, the link between pornography and misogyny, and the dangers posed by AI-generated deepfake content.COMBATING TOXIC ONLINE INFLUENCESThe UK’s Department for Education said misogynistic attitudes had reached “epidemic scale” among young people, fuelled by internet influencers and harmful online communities.“I want our children to be equipped to defy the malign forces that exist online,” said Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. “Schools and parents alike have a vital role to play, helping children identify positive role models and resist the manipulation too often used online to groom impressionable young minds.”The announcement follows the release of the Netflix drama Adolescence, which sparked national debate earlier this year for its depiction of toxic online influences on boys. The show centres on a radicalised 13-year-old boy who commits murder after being drawn into online incel culture.Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Member of Parliament for Ashfield Lee Anderson visit a class at Woodland View Primary School, in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. (Photo: AP/Jacob King)NEW CURRICULUM GUIDELINESData published by the Department for Education showed that 54 per cent of students aged 11 to 19 had witnessed misogynistic comments in the past week.The new guidance encourages schools to challenge myths about relationships and help boys seek out healthier role models, without stigmatising boys “for being boys.”Phillipson said the measures are designed to foster “respectful and healthy attitudes” and protect students from harmful online narratives.Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Adolescence and said the show would be screened in secondary schools. During last year’s general election campaign, Starmer’s Labour party pledged to halve the rate of violence against women and girls within a decade.Schools will be able to adopt the new guidelines from September 2025 and must implement them fully by September 2026.Source: AFP/fsSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST