Teachers' leaders have warned of a 'masculinity crisis' in UK schools, with misogynistic abuse of female staff on the rise. A survey by the NASUWT teachers' union found that nearly a quarter of female teachers reported being targeted by misogyny from pupils in the past year, the highest proportion in four years.
One teacher said she was called a 'fucking slag', while another said a student made nude AI images of her. Boys were reported to joke about raping girls and laugh when challenged. The poll of 5,000 teachers tracked a rising trend, from 17.4% in 2023 to 23.4% this year.
Matt Wrack, NASUWT general secretary, called it a 'ticking timebomb' and urged better support and training to counter the influence of the 'manosphere'. 'Over 70% of the teaching profession is female,' he said. 'If female teachers are reporting that they cannot contain gender-based aggression in their classrooms... then we have a ticking timebomb on our hands.'
The issue was also raised at the National Education Union's annual conference, where general secretary Daniel Kebede linked the rise to extreme online content. 'Addictive social media algorithms are feeding our children harmful content on a daily basis,' he said.
Female teachers described being ignored, mocked, and patronised, including being told to 'calm down' or asked why they don't smile more. Some reported sexualised sounds and gestures, and a lack of support from parents or school management. One teacher was told by a parent: 'If I can't handle teenage boys then I need to work in a fucking nursery.'
The NASUWT will debate the issue at its annual conference in Birmingham on Saturday. Rebecca Hitchen of the End Violence Against Women Coalition called for strong sanctions on tech companies failing to tackle online misogyny, saying schools are 'bearing the brunt' of the rise.
