Report highlights drop in male teacher numbers

Urgent steps need to be taken to address the falling numbers of male primary school teachers in the educational system, a report recommended today.

The report by the Primary Education Committee says the percentage of male teachers in primary schools has dropped from 30 per cent in 1970s to 18 per cent in 2005.

It recommended specific funding be made available to promote teaching as a career for young men, with five and 10 year targets for increasing their numbers in primary schools.

The report said there was a need to provide children with experience of both male and female role models.

Speaking at the launch in Dublin today, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin said encouraging more men to be teachers would benefit society as a whole.

Ms Hanafin said: "If we can increase the numbers of males choosing to become primary school teachers, this will have significant benefits for teachers and students, and also have wider positive impacts for society and the country as a whole.

She said: "Given the fulfilling nature of teachers' work and the vital social contribution that they make, I believe that teaching is an attractive profession for the best candidates, both male and female.

"As a former teacher myself, I believe that it is important that pupils should have both male and female teachers.

"There are a number of reasons for this, including the importance for children of having positive role models of both sexes and the need for school environments to reflect society more comprehensively," she said.

Because of the necessity of higher level Gaeilge for teachers, the committee's report also recommended improvements to the second level Gaeilge syllabus, particularly oral sections, scholarships for Gaeltacht courses and more guidance on taking the subject at higher level.

Additional reporting: PA