Male teachers all over the world are a vanishing species. What has happened? What can be done to turn the situation around and to increase the number of male teachers in our schools?

One of the most satisfying periods of my teaching career was at Nhulunbuy Primary School, at Gove, in North-East Arnhem Land, 650 kilometres east of Darwin. Until recently, this town of 4,200 people was accessible only by air. During my principalship (1983-1986), the school enrolled 750 students from Transition through to Year Seven. Further, 90 children were being readied for formal learning in our preschool.

The school had a staff of 52 teachers and ancillaries, which included nineteen male teachers (36% of our teaching staff). We men had our Touch Football team, we made up almost all of one of the local cricket teams, and we were a major contributing force to local rugby league, basketball and other male-focused sports teams.

I didn’t appreciate it then, but a gender balance of that nature is a rarity. The ratio of male-to-female teachers in Australian primary schools is 1:27. At 1:9 in high schools. The situation is just a little better, but still, 90% of the staff are women. At Leanyer School, we are a staff of 38. Only five of us (13%) are male. Some schools have the only male on the team as the janitor.

Where have all the male teachers gone, and why? Male primary teachers are an almost extinct species. Men in teacher training at all levels are rare. More and more qualified and practising male teachers are leaving for other less stressful occupations.

Historical Reasons

There are historical reasons for the perceived unattractiveness of primary teaching to men. They centre on the perceptions of salary, status, community regard and an inherent idea that men working with children run counter to the male psyche. The notion of ‘macho’ and the nurture of children seem somehow to be incongruent. This reasoning is somewhat mythical. Maybe it’s even ‘claptrap’! To hang the diminishment of the male teaching species on such ideas is illogical. But it does nothing to ease the actual situation that there are now very few male teachers, particularly in primary schools.

Men Under Siege

I do not doubt that male teachers in primary schools are under siege. Along with colleagues, I study the media’s coverage of our profession. While the press is interpretative and accuracy sometimes skewed, it still reflects the perceptions generally held by the society of social institutions and its managers.

Diet of Male Dysfunctionalism

The community is fed a bountiful print, radio and TV diet of stories about male teachers dysfunctional. There has been and continues to be, a plethora of reports alleging interference with, and abuse of, children by male teachers. Sadly, some instances of infringement and violation against children and students are proven in court. However, a significant percentage of allegations leading to court action are baseless.

For those tried, ‘legal’ acquittal does not negate the associated moral perception and social resentment. Those found ‘not guilty’ by courts and those who never go to court because charges are dropped are left feeling tainted. In the minds of the wrongfully accused, the damage to their reputations is everlasting.

Children and students are increasingly aware of their rights to care and protection. ‘Stranger danger’, the ‘Kid’s Helpline’ and similar strategies are filling what, historically, has been an information void. Children must understand their rights and the respect that is due to them. Information from student disclosures, however, needs to be carefully checked before action is taken. If the information offered is accepted without verification, with allegations subsequently found to be untrue, then the accused is violated.

The Need for Human Warmth

Male teachers face a real dilemma. It’s no secret that primary children, particularly younger ones, often seek to be physically close to their teachers. Gripping the hands of teachers, giving teachers cuddles, and wanting to sit on teachers’ laps are manifestations of this deep-seated human need. Female teachers seem to be less at risk in this situation than males. Males may want to respond to children with human warmth and empathy but are warned off by a deep societal frown.

By contrast, middle-aged female teachers are often regarded as grandmotherly’. It seems much more socially acceptable for them to respond to the affection of children. A male teacher of the same age has to be much more circumspect, lest his actions be interpreted as those of a ‘dirty old man’.

The phenomena of single-parent families increasingly exacerbate the challenge. Single mothers often ask that, if possible, their children be placed with a male teacher for the sake of masculine role modelling. The scenario can become one that creates an acute conflict within the mind of the male teacher.

The Future for Male Teachers Is Not Rosy

There is an increasing focus on male teacher vulnerability, but tackling the issue has been, at best, oblique. Deflecting the problem is no way of handling its challenge. At some stage – hopefully sooner rather than later – a considered response to the issue by senior managers will be necessary. Ignoring the situation won’t make it go away. In an age where litigation is increasingly common, the threat to male teacher integrity will likely become more pronounced.

Many factors influence the issue of school staffing. Conversations with teachers reveal that the tension of being a vulnerable group weighs heavily on the minds of remaining male educators

The problem of the male teacher shortage may rapidly worsen shortly, given the ageing teaching profession and the imminent retirement of many existing male teachers. Unless something is done, primary schools will soon be staffed almost entirely by women. Do readers have any suggestions about how this problem can be solved