Men battling to succeed in the woman’s world of childcare

For what seems like eternity ‘equality in the workplace’ has usually been ascribed to women attempting to succeed in a man’s world.

Now however, the tables are turning ever so slightly.   This year’s intake on the Btec National Diploma in children’s care in Waterlooville, Hampshire also includes six men- the highest ever intake of men on a children’s care course in Hampshire.

Lecturer Jill Clausen said ‘usually we have one or two men on the children’s course in Hampshire, and that has been the case for the past 20 years or so- to have 6 is unprecedented’.

Given the lack of male role models for children in nurseries and primary schools- latest figures show that one in four primary schools in the country have no male teachers and only twelve per cent of primary school teachers are male, this unprecedented intake onto the children’s care course in Hampshire can only be a positive thing.

With only 48 male teachers working in state nurseries in the UK, let us hope that an increasingly number of young men see this as a viable and successful career option.