Dearth of male teachers

MORE male teachers in primary school and kindergarten classrooms could help diffuse gender role stereotypes, leaders say.

Bethany Kindergarten Services chief executive Grant Boyd confirmed a very small number of its kinder teachers were male. Education department data from this year shows 28.5 per cent of Geelong primary school teachers are male, higher than the state average of just 20.9 per cent.

Tate Street Primary School principal Terry Scott said a changing culture was encouraging more men to look towards teaching prep and grade one classes, rather than the more traditional positions of sport and senior level teaching.

Mr Scott said he would be supportive of any opportunity for children to have more positive male role models in the early stages of their life.

“More and more you see wonderful male role models teaching in the younger grades,” Mr Scott said.

“They can show that males can be caring, nurturing, great teachers.”

Australian Education Union vice-president Justin Mullaly, who has taught secondary classes, said the union believed it was important staff in school reflect the diversity in the community.

“From that point of view it’s important to us that kids experience, through their teachers, role models of both genders — it’s critical,” Mr Mullaly said.

Mr Boyd said it would be “very positive” to see more men training to be kindergarten teachers.

“You could argue that roles like teaching are seen as female — and that has been reinforced,” Mr Boyd said.

“If children grow up with a different view of the world then that stereotype is lessened — and they can see any job (as an option).”

He said factors like pay, particularly in the early childhood sector, could contribute to a lack of male teachers.

An education department spokeswoman said support for all Victorian teachers was being improved.