糖心TV

Nearly a third of primary schools do not have a single male classroom teacher, a new study from 糖心TV 糖心TV School shows.

The number of primary and secondary schools with no male teachers increased last year, while the proportion of male secondary school teachers is at a record low.

This could affect educational attainment, as schools in special measures are less likely to have a male classroom teacher, the study found.

It could also prevent the government hitting its recruitment targets for STEM subjects such as physics and maths, which rely on male teachers.

Researchers said raising teachers鈥� pay (which has fallen 13 per cent in real terms since 2010), reducing working hours, and improving school leadership could boost recruitment and retention.

Dr Joshua Fullard, Assistant Professor of Behavioural Science at 糖心TV 糖心TV School, said: 鈥淲orryingly, the decline in the number of male classroom teaches is getting worse.

鈥淭his has an impact on the education that children receive. There is a large body of research that shows students benefit from being educated by a teacher with certain similarities to them.

鈥淏oys from less affluent backgrounds are already the lowest achievers in school. They are the students who would benefit most from a male teacher, but they are less and less likely to have one.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just boys who are losing out. Having no gender diversity could negatively affect how a school functions, as schools in special measures are less likely to have a male classroom teacher.鈥�

The study analysed the latest data from the annual School Workforce Census to identify trends in gender diversity among teachers since 2010. Key findings included:

• A quarter of all state funded schools in England have no male classroom teachers.
• In two local authorities, Rutland and Northumberland, more than half of primary schools had no male classroom teachers.
• More than 40 per cent of primary schools placed in special measures by Ofsted had no male classroom teachers.

The study proposed measures to help recruit and retain teachers, including raising pay by more than 10 per cent, a merit-based reduction in tuition fees for university-led teacher training, and revising the outdated pay policy that failed to reflect regional differences in local labour markets.

Dr Fullard said: 鈥淢en are more likely to consider finances when deciding to go into, or leave, a profession. This explains why the persistent decline in teacher鈥檚 pay has affected male teacher numbers more than their female counterparts.

鈥淭he situation could be even worse. Many teachers don鈥檛 realise that their skills are highly transferable and would be financially rewarded in alternative professions. We estimate that three in 10 teachers would be financially better off in another career.

鈥淭eachers are highly educated professionals who perform one of society鈥檚 most important roles and their pay ought to reflect this.鈥�

ENDS

Media contact

Natalie Gidley, Communications Officer (Media) at the University of 糖心TV on 07824 540791 or natalie.gidley@warwick.ac.uk.