Education

[CarolTree]

Dear mumsnetters,

I think it is outrageous that at my local school a man was promoted to head above the other four candidates all of whom were women. Sound bad, to make it worse the replacement deputy was also a man leaving the women in the leadership team as the minority. In a time of modern feminism and an 'equal society' how is it that their are few role models to help or inspire girls in education. We need more women in education.

Women are disproportionately represented in education.

So right you are.

Hmmm. From knowing a few (female) friends who have made it to 'Head of Dept' positions they've not wanted to go any further than that. A Headteacher will rarely see his/her own children... could be a bit if that?

Yes we need more women at the top in education but we also need the best people for the job. I was a school governor for 22 years and we never took account of a persons gender, or the gender balance of the staff, when making an appointment. We always appointed the best person on the day.

@Aesopfable Women are disproportionately represented in education - they are, but this makes it particularly noticeable when the balance is very much tilted towards men in the leadership of many schools.

Women are disproportionately represented in education
In the workforce at large they are the majority.

At secondary women are vastly underrepresented in senior positions.
In primary women significantly dominate the workforce and hold more than half senior positions. Men make up a tiny proportion of the workforce but make up a greater proportion of senior leaders than they are in the workforce.

I remember an ex head teacher (female) saying young female teachers kept going off pregnant and wanting to come back on job shares, but young males were worse as they wouldn’t stay in post for more than a couple of years before seeking promotion.

In our area though no one wants to be a head teacher, apart from some young under-qualified men who keep getting turned down in favour of another round of recruiting. And council managers are nearly all women too. But the discrimination doesn’t end with getting female senior managers. I am sure I read something recently about how as the number of women in a profession goes up the social standing of that profession goes down...

@Aesopfable couldn't agree more.