Schools struggling to attract male teachers

PRIMARY schools are failing to attract male teachers, with men making up fewer than three in 10 of all staff in most Oldham schools.

According to new figures released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), fewer than one in 10 teachers at 29 of Oldham’s 91 primary schools is male.

Secondary schools fair much better, with only one school in Oldham having fewer than 30 per cent of males accounting for the staff.

Jill Beaumont, service director for supporting and extending learning at Oldham Council, said: “The council policy for all staff is to recruit the best person for the job, regardless of gender, race or disability.

“We currently have 163 male teachers working within primary education. While this number is lower than the number of female teachers, male staff play an extremely important role within education and we encourage all those who feel that they have something to give to the young people of Oldham to consider a career in teaching.”

The news comes after research revealed that parents want more men to become primary school teachers because they fear their children lack male role models.

Demand is even stronger among single mothers, who told the survey their children had little contact with men in caring roles.

The study found that one in six children living with a single mother spends less than two hours a week with a male role model, such as a father figure, relative or teacher. And one in three of these children has such contact for under six hours a week.

Critics have claimed some men fear becoming teachers in case they are falsely accused of abuse.

The current economic climate could see a rise in the number of male teachers. According to the Teaching and Development Agency the number of potential applicants is up 50 per cent compared with last year.

In the past two and a half months, 424,802 people made inquiries through the agency’s website — up from 283,641 during the same period a year earlier.

Despite no gender breakdown, the increase is thought to be linked to the first wave of redundancies experienced across the country in banking and manufacturing.