A top private school is offering ‘healthy masculinity’ workshops for parents to help them combat toxic online influencers such as Andrew Tate.
The Royal Hospital School (RHS) in Suffolk is running 90 minute sessions to help families talk to their sons about resisting dark messages from the web.
Irfan Latif, headmaster of the 300-year-old institution, said private schools have a ‘responsibility’ to counter misogynistic narratives.
And he advocated promoting positive male role models such as Atticus Finch, the hero of To Kill a Mockingbird, as an ‘alternative’ to harmful figures on social media.
RHS, which charges up to £46,000 a year for boarders and is part of the elite HMC private schools group, was the alma mater of hero explorer Ernest Joyce.
Mr Latif said: ‘We have not had any particular issues or incidents at RHS, but as educators we have a duty to be proactive.
‘The workshops are about equipping our pupils, and their parents, to navigate the pressures of modern masculinity before problems arise.’
Writing in Independent School Management Plus, Mr Latif said the issue of ‘toxic masculinity’ poses ‘significant challenges for schools’.
A top private school is offering ‘healthy masculinity’ workshops for parents to help them combat toxic online influencers such as Andrew Tate (pictured)
The Royal Hospital School in Suffolk is running 90 minute sessions to help families talk to their sons about resisting dark messages from the web
Irfan Latif, headmaster of RHS, advocated promoting positive male role models such as Atticus Finch, the hero of To Kill a Mockingbird (pictured: Gregory Peck stars as Atticus in the 1962 film adaptation)
He said this has been exacerbated by the rise of ‘online influencers like Andrew Tate’, who promote ‘hyper-masculine’ and ‘misogynistic’ views.
Tate, who has 10 million followers on X, has previously boasted that he is ‘absolutely a misogynist’.
He has faced multiple allegations of offences against women – all of which he denies.
Mr Latif said: ‘Their messages, amplified by social media, can easily shape young minds, leading to a distorted perception of what it means to be a man in the 21st century.
‘Independent schools have a unique opportunity and a responsibility to counter these narratives by fostering positive masculinity.’
The parent sessions, led by the school’s pastoral team and external speakers, equip parents with ‘tools and language’ to talk with their children about ‘respect, empathy, emotional expression, consent, and peer influence’.
They include scenario-based discussions, expert input, and parent-to-parent reflection.
Mr Latif added: ‘We recognise that what happens at home plays a crucial role in shaping boys’ identities and we work closely with parents to ensure that they feel equipped to guide their sons through the pressures of modern masculinity.
Irfan Latif (pictured), headmaster of RHS, believes schools can ‘foster positive masculinity’
‘Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive – many parents have said they feel more empowered to speak openly with their children and better understand the subtle social pressures boys – and girls – face today.’
The workshops are part of a wider school effort to promote healthy male role models.
Mr Latif believes characters such as Atticus, the lawyer from Harper Lee’s 1960 novel, can offer an ‘alternative perspective on male strength’.
He said: ‘As for Atticus Finch, I chose him intentionally as a counterpoint to the rise of figures like Andrew Tate because he represents moral courage, integrity, and quiet strength.
‘He listens more than he speaks, treats everyone with dignity, and stands up for what is right even when it is unpopular or costly.
‘In a world of loud influencers and toxic online echo chambers, I believe young men need these quieter, principled role models more than ever.’
RHS, which has historic links to the Royal Navy, is a co-educational school for day and boarder pupils aged 11 to 18.
