There are so many trends that effect why men and women work in the occupations that they do. During the late 1920s, more men returned to teaching. And after World War II, because of the GI Bill we saw more men going into education than ever before in history.
We now have two things going on that may be a “perfect storm” of having more men go into education.
1) More men are losing than jobs than women. According to a New York Times article last year:
Should the male-dominated layoffs of the current recession continue….A deep and prolonged recession, therefore, may change not only household budgets and habits; it may also challenge longstanding gender roles.
In recessions, the percentage of families supported by women tends to rise slightly, and it is expected to do so when this year’s numbers are tallied. As of November, women held 49.1 percent of the nation’s jobs, according to nonfarm payroll data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By another measure, including farm workers and the self-employed, women constituted 47.1 percent of the work force.
New York Times (you’ll need a free password to see the full article)
2) Men are joining the military with the wars in Afghanstan and Iraq has more and more men qualifying for the new GI Bill.
The Post 9/11 GI Bill offers several education assistance benefits. The three major benefits include up to 100% paid tuition, a monthly housing stipend, and a stipend of up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies. If you attend less than full-time you will receive a portion of the payment based on the number of units of study.
20 Top FAQs for the New GI Bill
It’s too soon to write that we have a trend of more male teachers – but – all the ingredients are there to make it happen.