The influence of far right and populist movements is negatively impacting pupils through social media, messaging apps and online gaming platforms, according to members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union.

At the Union’s Annual Conference being held this weekend in Liverpool, members will call for increased action against the far right’s efforts to recruit children and young people, and for schools to have access to initiatives that combat misogyny, racism, classism, and anti-immigration narratives.

NASUWT’s new Behaviour in Schools Survey found that teachers think social media is the number one cause of negative pupil behaviour.

The survey found that in the last year:

• 59% of teachers feel that social media negatively impacts pupil behaviour;
• 53 teachers referenced far right agitator Andrew Tate as directly impacting male pupils’ behaviour, leading to an increase in misogynistic abuse of female staff and pupils in schools;
• Female teachers are more likely to regularly receive verbal abuse than their male counterparts, with 27.3% of female teachers reporting verbal abuse several times a week and 14.3% reporting it daily, versus 20.4% and 9.8% of male teachers;
• Teachers describing themselves as from Black, Caribbean or African backgrounds are more likely to experience regular physical abuse from pupils, with 29.6% reporting physical abuse several times a week, compared to 15.9% of teachers who describe themselves as White.

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said:

“Misogyny, racism and other forms of prejudice and hatred may have attracted greater media attention of late, but it is clear from our data that these behaviours are not a recent phenomenon.

“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 and to ensure that our schools and colleges are safe places for learners and for staff.

“Teachers cannot be left alone to deal with these problems. We need a multi-agency response to improve social media literacy, critical thinking skills, and to expose disinformation and false narratives.

“We are urging the government to lead a national effort to tackle the root causes of poverty and deprivation and keep children safe online.”