Male teachers remain a minority in primary schools

JUST a fifth of teachers training to work in England’s primary schools this year are male, official figures show.

New government data reveal that around 4,100 men have signed up to become primary school teachers, a similar proportion to last year.

The figures also show that would-be teachers increasingly have higher qualifications, with around three in four of those signing up to enter the classroom holding at least a 2.1 degree.

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The rise comes amid a push by government to encourage top graduates to become teachers, particularly in subjects such as science and maths.

At the same time, there has been a fall in the number of trainee secondary teachers in key subjects such as English, maths and science. The statistics, published by the Department for Education (DfE), gives details on teacher recruitment and the qualifications these trainees hold.

In total, 21 per cent of recruits to primary teacher training programmes this year were male, compared to 20 per cent last year and 18 per cent in 2010/11.

It means that men are still in the minority in England’s primary schools. There have been concerns in recent years that there are not enough men in the profession, leaving some young children with a lack of male role models.

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The figures also show that 74 per cent of this year’s crop of teacher trainees graduated from university with at least a 2.1, compared with 71 per cent last year.

Of these, about one in six (16 per cent) had gained a first, up from 14 per cent in 2012/13 and 10 per cent in 2009/10.

Charlie Taylor, chief executive of the National College for Teaching and Leadership, said “Teaching is a rewarding and fulfilling career – and our best graduates can 
make a real difference in the classroom.

“This will raise standards in schools and help every child achieve their full potential.”

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