Britain's top private school in Middle East teaching pupils 'right way to beat women'

Ben McCaffrey
Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:39:39 +0000

One of Britain's top private schools operating in the Middle East has been teaching pupils the "right way" to deal with "rebellious" wives – by "lightly beating" them.

The prestigious Harrow School, which educated Sir Winston Churchill, is preparing to open two campuses in the United Arab Emirates this summer, where Muslim students will be taught fundamentalist Islamic content from state-mandated textbooks.

It is joining a plethora of British private schools currently operating in the Gulf, selling the quintessential British education but providing anything but.

The textbooks, according to research from The Telegraph, outline a three-stage approach with headings including "First: good counselling", "Second: refusing bed-sharing" and "Third: beating lightly".

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Students are told this final stage constitutes "beating for the purpose of remediation" and that "its objective is to safeguard marital life against breakdown and maintain companionship and social intimacy."

The material specifies that husbands should use "a siwak (small, natural toothbrush) or a light handkerchief", however it outlines that whips or sticks are not permitted.

The curriculum also addresses marital discord from the wife's perspective, though with notably different guidance. When facing a husband's cruelty, women are simply advised that "there is no blame on them if they arrange an amicable settlement between themselves; and such settlement is best."

One classroom exercise asks students to "explain why Islam made divorce the right of the husband alone", offering as an example answer: "Because he is more patient and tolerant."

The textbooks further list causes of marital conflict, citing "stressful and burdensome demands made by some wives" alongside "stinginess of the husband and his refusal to support and spend on his wife."

These lessons are exclusively delivered to Muslim pupils, though all expatriate children must attend separate morality classes prescribed by the UAE government.

Families enrolling their children are required to declare nationality and religious affiliation, with Muslim and Arab students separated from other pupils for state-mandated Islamic instruction.

The mandatory morality lessons extend beyond religious instruction, requiring pupils at British schools to listen to state propaganda about Emirati excellence, including claims the country "empowers women" and "ranks first in terms of peaceful co-existence."

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Portraits of the ruling sheikhs must adorn classroom walls, entrance halls and corridors, while images of foreign leaders are prohibited.

British expatriate children are also obliged to sing the UAE national anthem daily.

Teachers face stringent restrictions under rules introduced last September. Staff at Dubai schools must sign legally binding documents pledging to avoid "discussing or promoting socially unacceptable behaviours" and to "uphold Islamic values."

The code of conduct explicitly prohibits discussion of "gender identity, inebriation, and premarital or same-sex relationships."

Educators who breach these rules risk being struck off the profession, with authorities requiring notification within 24 hours of any verbal or written warnings issued to staff.

Schools face considerable pressure to comply with UAE requirements, as inspection ratings directly determine their ability to raise fees.

Islamic education constitutes one of six assessed subject areas for Dubai's private schools.

Brighton College's Dubai campus received a "weak" rating for Islamic education in 2022 and was instructed to enhance students' ability to "memorise, understand and recite" the Koran. By 2024, inspectors noted improvements and upgraded the rating.

The number of British private school campuses abroad has surged from 36 a decade ago to 163 today, with a further 43 planned in the coming years. The Middle East will soon host 46 satellite campuses, with eight additional UK schools destined for the UAE alone.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has actively encouraged this expansion, declaring in January that "UK education is one of our most valuable exports" and backing the sector "to go even further, underlining our commitment to fuel UK growth."

GB News has approached Harrow International for comment.