Male nursery workers face prejudice

 Most councils have no male workers in their nursery schools as parents tend to believe the stereotype that they pose a risk to young children.

Of the 38 councils in England, Scotland and Wales that still have in-house nurseries, 26 have no men on the payroll.

Jamel Campbell, of the London Early Years Foundation, said: “There is a lot of stigma based on negative stories – children being at risk of harm and men not being nurturing.”

Of 400,000 people employed in preschools, nurseries and receptions, 98 per cent were female.

Mr Campbell said: “Some children may not have a male in their home. There needs to be a balance.”

Nadhim Zahawi, the children’s minister, said the lack of male staff was a problem that Department for Education officials were seeking to address.