Why are there so few men in early years teaching? I have worked in the profession for almost 9 years, and I was lucky to teach internationally (Italy, USA, and UK). Only once in that time I worked with a man. But this should not have been a surprise, as latest government figures show that only 2-5% of the early years workforce is made up of men (DfE, 2016). The absence of men in the profession is problematic for gender equitable arguments, with gender imbalances in early years making it “women’s work” (Burn and Pratt Adams, 2015) in public discourse. In contrast, a greater presence for men in early years would be a major benefit for representativeness.
If more children saw both men and women included in their education and care, gender stereotypes could be tackled from the start, and children to develop a more gender equitable outlook. In this blog I will share some of the reflections and practices that emerged in conversation with five male teachers working in contemporary British early years.
