Gender and the teaching profession
Historically, prior to the 1850’s, teaching is a career held predominantly by men. However, in the early 1900’s, women overshadowed men. And in the Philippines, during the American regime, teachers in the country were mostly men. But the Americans soon realized that hiring women was cheaper at the same time, while women, who would traditionally work as housewives, did not demand a high pay. Thereafter, Filipino women started to predominate the teaching profession as literacy rate and culture influenced the status quo. And because pay was very low, men became “endangered species”.
Over the years, salaries of public school teachers remarkably improved and Filipinos – men and women are now enthused to the teaching profession. However, still over the years, statistics indicate women subjugating men. Consequently, 80 percent of public school teachers in the primary as well as in the secondary level are women. Does this imply women are better teachers than men? If so, why don’t more men teach?
It has been said that teaching is a profession that requires passion, enthusiasm and dedication. Men and women alike can be passionate, enthusiastic and dedicated if they want to and if they meet the requirements they can be eligible as teachers. In point of fact, gender is not a factor that will determine a person’s desire to become a teacher, as each person possess different qualities or capabilities that define his or her entirety. While debates on feminization in the teaching profession linger, a number of key questions carried on: Do boys need male teachers in order to achieve better? Do boys need male teachers as role models? Are female teachers less competent than male teachers? Does feminization result in a reduction in the professional status of teaching? These questions while nonsensical for others, several research findings revealed that the gender of teachers had little apparent effect on the academic motivation and engagement of either boys or girls. For the majority of the children, the gender of the teacher was largely immaterial. They valued teachers, whether men or women, who were consistent and even-handed and supportive of them as learners.