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Why preschools need men

Falling rates of men teaching in kindergartens and daycares could be turning boys off learning for life, education experts say.

The number of men in teacher- staffed preschools has halved to less than 1% in the past decade.

That's below other countries - Australia has about 4 per cent and has made lifting male participation a key goal. Both England and Wales have 2-3 per cent male childcare teachers and have set a target of 6 per cent, while Denmark boasts 8 per cent.

Dr Sarah Farquhar, of the Childforum Research Network, blames "a veiled form of sexism" for deterring men from a career in early childhood teaching. She's organising a conference this month to look at the role of men in the sector.

In 1997, her research found the infamous Christchurch Civic Creche case, which resulted in Peter Ellis's conviction for multiple sex offences, had driven many men from teaching.

"There was a feeling men had to watch their backs in case they were falsely accused of abuse.

"I think that fear has dissipated as common sense has taken hold, but men still feel unwelcome."

Dunedin early childhood teacher Russell Ballantyne, who has 23 years' experience in the sector, said the gender imbalance within early childhood was "not only tolerated but also closely protected".

"There's an underlying belief that men shouldn't be involved in early childhood education, and any man who chooses to be is suspect."

Despite the chronic shortage of trained early childhood teachers, the Ministry of Education was doing little to entice men into the profession, he said. "In all their promotional material, there's not a single male face."

In many early childhood centres there was more value placed on passive activities - such as art and reading - than on the physical activities favoured by boys.

"If the dominant perspective is always female, they feel left out. The way to challenge beliefs is to disprove them: it should be normal for children to see men caring for them."

Education campaigner and writer Celia Lashlie, the author of He'll Be OK - Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men, says the "feminisation of the education system" was handicapping boys. "I think there is a link between the fact boys are falling behind academically and the way in which they are increasingly marginalised."

Just because "girls can do anything" does not mean they should do everything, she said.

Farquhar, who is organising this month's conference for men in early childhood education, says more male involvement would be good for women, both within the profession and in the community.

"If men are encouraged to be more involved in the care of young children, if that's seen as `normal', it would take some of the burden off women.

"Female-dominated occupations also tend to have lower rates of pay, so more male representation could mean the profession receives better recognition in general."

A spokeswoman for Education Minister Steve Maharey, Helen Vaughan, said the number of male early childhood teachers has risen from just 40 in 2001 to 132 today - compared with more than 13,600 women.

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