Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Male Primary School Teachers — [Sir Gary Streeter in the Chair]

16 November 2022 · 4 other contributors · 7,513 words

Opened by Ben Bradley Con Mansfield

Responding minister: Nick Gibb

Education

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Ben Bradley raised concerns about male primary school teachers — [sir gary streeter in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Only 14 percent of primary and nursery teachers are male.
  • In the east midlands, nearly a third of state-funded primary and secondary schools lack male classroom teachers.
  • The minister highlighted the "Every lesson shapes a life" recruitment campaign targeting men.

Key requests to Government

The Minister should address why there are no schemes to support young men entering primary teaching despite the Equality Act allowing such positive action. Why not take measures under the Equality Act to tackle this clear imbalance and disparity?

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Ben Bradley Con Mansfield

Only 14% of primary and nursery teachers are male—significantly less than one in five. In the east midlands, nearly a third of all state-funded primary and secondary schools do not have a single male classroom teacher. Male and female teachers contribute to children's gender knowledge in a balanced way, but many young people lack male role models at home or in their personal lives. The presence of male teachers is important for all children, especially those from dysfunctional backgrounds where the only consistent male figure is a poor role model.

Other contributors (4)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Jim Shannon highlighted the underrepresentation of male teachers in primary schools across the UK, particularly noting that only 15% of primary school teachers are male in Northern Ireland. He mentioned a decrease in male teacher numbers over the past decade and noted there is not a single male nursery teacher in Northern Ireland. Shannon emphasized the importance of addressing societal perceptions and peer pressure to encourage more men into teaching roles. Mr. Shannon asked the Minister to share information on why Northern Ireland has a different trend compared to England regarding the increase in male primary school teachers and expressed interest in implementing any successful strategies used elsewhere.

  • Justin Tomlinson Con Swindon South

    Suggests that the Department for Education should work with the Professional Footballers Association to help transition football players into teaching, particularly in primary schools. Suggested flexible routes into teaching, such as transitioning from early years education or coaching backgrounds, to increase the number of male teachers.

  • Mark Pawsey Con Rugby

    Reiterates the point about young people growing up without male role models and emphasizes the importance of seeing men in caregiving roles like those found in primary school. He also discusses the issue of financial incentives for male teachers, noting that secondary education tends to offer higher salaries. Agreed that male teachers contribute to children's understanding of gender roles and are crucial for those without positive male role models at home. My daughter thinks the staffroom is a better place with a mixture of genders, as male and female teachers can share different perspectives in the workplace.

  • Stephen Morgan Lab Portsmouth South

    Mr. Morgan highlighted the importance of male primary school teachers in children's development and criticized the Government's lack of action to address the under-representation of males in this profession, noting that only 15.5% of state-funded primary school teachers are male, with recruitment showing no sign of improvement.

Government Response

Nick Gibb

The Government are committed to providing world-class education and training, aiming to attract highly skilled individuals from all backgrounds into teaching. Since 2010, there has been an increase of over 7,000 male teachers in state-funded nursery and primary schools. The minister highlighted the 'Every lesson shapes a life' recruitment campaign, which targets various audiences including men. He mentioned that despite challenges in the competitive recruitment market, the Department's target for trainees starting postgraduate initial teacher training primary courses was exceeded in four of the last five years. Male teachers are more likely to work in secondary schools than nursery and primary schools: 14% of nursery and primary school teachers are male (up from 12% in 2010), while 35% of secondary school teachers are male. The minister committed to monitor differential data related to candidate sex during the application process, aiming to address barriers for under-represented groups including men.

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