World News

More Scots men will be encouraged to take up a career as nursery teachers and childminders as part of a Scottish Government drive announced today.

Ministers today set out their vision for an overhaul of the country’s early years workforce which will also look at ensuring that the profession is better paid for those involved.

Just 4% of nursery teachers in Scotland are currently male and 0% of childminders. Ministers now want to shift this balance and believe it would have wider benefits for society.

My form teacher during my final year of primary school was called Dr Knight. A brilliant man who remained stoic when my friend tried to glue him to a chair, his specialism was maths.

My daughter was clearly excited when she came home from her first day at school last June. In between giggles, she blurted out, in Filipino, what seemed almost like a secret: “Our teacher is male.”

New research by the Australian Catholic University (ACU) of ABS Labour Force data has revealed that for the last 20 years as few as one in five Australian primary school teachers have been male.

The ACU reviewed the country's most populous states and found that in 2014:
 
16 per cent of NSW primary school teachers were men
18 per cent of Victorian primary school teachers were men

Many children will never encounter a male employee in their early years of care and education. Does it matter? Asker municipality in Norway has labored for many years to increase the number of men in childcare. It is our belief that children should be entitled to meet both men and women as teachers and caregivers.

To this end, we will be hosting an international conference in Asker 21-22 october.

Objectives: