'We need to talk about Andrew Tate' – Wick High School issues parental guide on the toxic social media influencer
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Wick High School followed the example of many other schools in the UK by issuing advice to parents about the jailed social media influencer, Andrew Tate.
The school issued an online "parent/carer guide to Andrew Tate" that it sent out on Wednesday to address some "key questions and definitions" that particularly relate to male pupils viewing Tate as a role model and mimicking his misogynistic views.
A PDF document was sent out to parents and carers along with an introductory letter which stated: "You may have seen recent press coverage of the social media influencer, Andrew Tate, and his effect on the opinions of young people, especially young men, in the UK.
"We, along with a number of schools in Scotland, have felt the need to raise awareness of this situation with our young people but also with our parents/carers. To this end we have made a guide to speaking to your child about Andrew Tate and his recent arrest, should you feel that it is a topic of conversation and/or interest in your home.
"We understand that the issues raised within are incredibly sensitive and to this end we urge caution in reading the document below. We hope you find this helpful but if you or your child have any concerns please contact the relevant member of the Guidance team."
The attached document has a list of key points about the British-American ex-kickboxer who is now an influencer with a reported net worth of £15 million. Videos of him on TikTok have been watched over 11.6 billion times.
The document defines the meaning of misogyny and claims Tate "believes women should be the property of men and that women deserve to be sexually assaulted". The school admits that its teachers have "reported young people discussing Andrew Tate in a positive manner [and] believing he is a positive fitness and financial role model".
The school provides information to parents and carers on how best to deal with the matter and initiate constructive conversations with their children about Tate and his beliefs.
Wick High School is just one of many UK schools that are attempting to re-educate teenage pupils who have been influenced by misogynistic content online. According to the Sunday Times, a female teacher at another British school reported "that some students disregarded their final exams because they believed they could make money online" like Andrew Tate.
The 36-year-old styles himself as a hyper-masculine life guru and originally appeared in Big Brother in 2016, but was disqualified after allegedly assaulting a female contestant. The following year, Tate was banned from Twitter for his views on the Harvey Weinstein case and how women should "bear some responsibility" for the sexual assault cases outlined in court.
Tate was arrested in Romania last month on suspicion of leading a criminal gang that attracted women and held them for sexual exploitation.
Wick High School said it will be hosting a webinar about "online safety" in the coming weeks and states that Andrew Tate is "potentially only the current problem in a wave of misogynistic influencers". The school hopes that its conversation guide could help parents and young people understand the dangers of these viewpoints. Social studies classes at the school will discuss Tate as part of a human trafficking unit and the topic will also be covered across all year groups.
