Ministry too PC for men say teachers

The Ministry of Education is forcing male teaching staff to be too politically correct, some teachers say.

Matt Robertson, one of 28 male primary teachers in Marlborough, said many men were deterred from the primary sector because the guidelines had become unworkable.

Mr Robertson, a teacher at Witherlea School, said ministry rules were so inflexible that teachers were forced to ignore them.

"The ministry tells you that you are never to be alone with a child, but sometimes the situation you find yourself in dictates that there is no other option. Sometimes you just have to ignore them. They [the rules] are so PC, it's ridiculous."

Colin Wood, a former primary teacher trainee, said the rules meant the profession had become "cold, calculated and way too PC".

A report issued by the primary teachers' union, New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), found more than 80 per cent of primary teachers are women.

Men make up 18 per cent of primary teachers - a drop from 22 per cent 10 years ago.

Marlborough Boys' College principal John Rodgers said that although there was little evidence linking teacher gender with student achievement, some parents had expressed concern at the effect on boys coming from a predominantly female teaching environment.

NZEI men's caucus spokesman Geoff Neville said scholarships for men could tip the gender balance.

Incentives, a clearer career path and a change in perceptions about the job could help attract more men into the profession, he said.

However, Education Minister Trevor Mallard said giving men preference did not appeal. "My key priority is to have qualified teachers. I am yet to find a parent who would prefer their child to be taught by an inferior male teacher rather than a better woman teacher."

- NZPA