Male Teachers at Primary Level

[Cb21]

Hi Folks,

I am just enquiring and interested in Public opinion on this matter. I am a guy who is currently looking at doing my PGCE and QTS in September. As a guy I am wondering what your opinions are of having male teachers in the classroom. Do you have experience of such? Do you have male primary teachers in your DD'S school?
Most of what I have read from such related articles is from many years ago and I'm just looking for an upto date and current opinion. I would appreciate all views positive and negative (as I know there may be some) but I want a rounded view of public opinion. Thanks a lot.

@MrMumble2, there really is a pervasive fawning over male primary teachers though. Not just on MN but in the playground too.

My children have multiple male teachers at their junior school - separate infants and juniors, but they are sister schools....

I don't give it a second thought. They are all great teachers and that's what matters.

@Cam77, I did provide evidence though.

Again, 25% of primary teachers are male and 39% of primary HTs are male. Are you saying all those men just happen to be better teachers? (That comes from the ONS btw)

@Neednewwellies
They should be keen to hire more male teachers. But if the male candidate is clearly inferior to any of the, say, seven or eight female candidates called to interview, the vast majority of schools will not hire him. There is no contradiction there.

@Neednewwellies
A far greater proportion of male primary school teacher set their sights on obtaining a HT role than their female colleagues. They cannot give HT jobs to female candidates who do not attend interview.

But @Cam77, all things being equal, they will opt for the male candidate over the female candidate. It shouldn’t be that they’re only not hired if they come bottom of the pile.

Oh and plenty of women go for HT jobs. Again, all things being equal, the governing body will opt for the male candidate in the majority of cases.

@Neednewwellies
"all things being equal, they will opt for the male candidate over the female candidate"
Perhaps, but things are very, very rarely "all equal". I wouldn't base a career choice on it, thats for sure. If you go to interview as a good male teacher and you are up against an outstanding female teacher, the man wont get the job.

"It shouldn’t be that they’re only not hired if they come bottom of the pile."
I don't believe that is the case. This statement is completely different from your reasonable statement above.

"Oh and plenty of women go for HT jobs"
As do plenty of men. If you have any statistics (ie showing men being hired more often proportionally to the number interviewed) I'd be interested to see them.

Oh and plenty of women go for HT jobs. Again, all things being equal, the governing body will opt for the male candidate in the majority of cases.
Completely disagree. I'd be interested how you think that discussion goes among the panellists. Or are you suggesting there's some sort of unconscious bias?

Two male teachers at my 6 and 8 year olds school, both fantastic. My favourite primary teacher was a man. We need more men in primary schools 😊

Primary schools need more male role models. Male teachers are good at making it fun but this needs balancing with food classroom discipline and learning outcomes ime

Well of course there is - that’s why men are over-represented in management roles!

There are 2 male teachers at dd's primary school, and the head is male. More male teachers is a good thing.

I agree though that (similar to in health and care services) more men tend to be in more senior roles. Down to institutional sexism.

I wish there were more male primary teachers. There are currently none except the PE teacher in my DCs school and I think it's a real shame. Plenty in secondary though.

I think it's great. Only one in DCs school plus the head.
Also have a primary school teacher friend who thinks he's a rare breed!

The best teacher my ds (p2) and then dd1 (p6) had was a male teacher (same person). I was sad that dd2 didn't get him too but he'd been promoted elsewhere by then, as seems to happen to male primary teachers. Ds also had a great male teacher in p5.

Go for it. Especially if you don't want promoted out of the classroom.

Anduins of course theres unconscious bias! Have you even seen on this thread how many have said, "We have one make teacher, oh and the head/deputy?"

Have a google of stats for male/femal ratio of teachers and of heads/slt.... it shows there certainly is a male bias statistically, even if they've all told themselves, "He's the best one for the job."

There’s 3 male teachers in my DD’s primary school, and the head is male also....however I work in a primary school (all girls) and we have NO male staff members...not one!!

I’d love to see more male teachers

Quite a number of teachers at my kids junior school were male and that's a big plus for me. My son always attached himself to a teacher and though he liked several female teachers I'd say he has loved a few of the male ones. He doesn't have a father and I think he looked to them as father figures (their relationship was strictly school based, but often the teacher also taught games as well as an academic subject). I think many boys benefit from an adult male authority figure who is outside their family.

We have a male teacher in year 1 and year 3 at our school. They are two of the most well regarded and well thought of teachers there. They really are excellent. We also have a male deputy head. I think it's really important to have male role models.

If any school governors give s headship to a man, because he’s a man, can be challenged. And will be.

The inevitable issue of having babies and raking time out comes into play. Women do this. The men don’t. They get to where they want to be that much quicker. They don’t juggle family and work to the same extent some women do. Not all women. It’s fairly clear that not all women, let alone all teachers, want promotion to head. The Heads I’ve known, work all hours and certainly in the holidays. Men have a lot of support to do this. Women with a career minded husband don’t get it and it’s tough for them. However looking at my LA, female heads are the majority at primary schools.

The default position is surely that head teachers will hire teachers based on their ability to enhance the performance and reputation of their school/Ofsted

1. Heads see men as better at the job. This includes female heads. There IS unconscious bias. It’s also been shown that men are promoted quickly because of the feeling that they need breadwinner-type jobs in management.
2. Lots of heads (including female heads) see the fawning over male teachers like there is on this thread and say, Great, let’s give him the job because the parents will be pleased.

Lots of parents on this thread have simply not examined WHY they rate the male teachers they know as being so good. As a pp points out, the saintly deputy upthread is only doing what he’s paid to do.

This whole discussion reminds me of that other thread recently where people were asked to name the most intelligent person they knew and the number of posters citing their husbands was quite remarkable.

There are three male teachers in my children's (small village) school. All of whom are fantastic. My eldest daughter had thrived in their classes (she has had a male teacher for the last three years running).

It hasn't ever occured to me to be concerned about male teachers teaching my daughters or my son. If they're good teachers, why would it!?

Did my first PGSE placement with a male Y2 teacher. He was young, 2nd year teaching & one of the best teachers I've come across. My DS had 1 male teacher (who was deputy head) at primary then more at secondary. IMHO it would have greatly benefited my DS to have had more male teachers - I'm a single mum, his dad is not allowed contact.

I really wish you every success! Oh & the head at that school was male & actually "famous" (I guess in teaching circles 😂).

Andrew Carter? Yeah...

Male teachers are good at making it fun

Really?!! Because they’re male?!