John Browne
Ceist:8 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Education the ratio of male to female student primary teachers for the 1993 to 1994 and 1994 to 1995 academic years. [1034/94]
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Student Primary Teachers Male-Female Ratio.
The ratio of male to female student primary teachers for the 1993-1994 and 1994-95 academic years is as follows:
|
Year |
Male |
Female |
|
% |
% |
|
|
1993-94 |
14 |
86 |
|
1994-95 |
15 |
85 |
I will also give Deputies additional figures. The figures for the 1994-95 academic year do not include new entrants to the colleges this year as those figures are not yet available to my Department.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): I previously asked the Minister to put a preservation order on male teachers. I am one of the last of those dinosaurs who graduated many years ago with enough colleagues with whom to play football. Will the Minister who leads the fight for gender balance accept that she has a fight on her hands considering that the percentage of male student primary teachers employed this year is 15 per cent? I am aware that the number of male students entering this field is increasing but given the low rate this year it is unlikely that the increase will be great. Does the Minister have plans to increase the number of male student teachers because there is a serious imbalance at classroom level? No matter how capable female teachers are, boys need a male presence. I might say to the Minister, with tongue in cheek, that the pursuit of a 40 per cent gender balance is as important for males in primary education as it is for women in respect of representation on boards and so on. The Minister should address this matter either by encouraging males to become primary teachers or by introducing a percentage regulation for male teachers. While such a measure may be unfair as it may block the appointment of female teachers with higher qualifications, the Minister needs to consider some measure to deal with this matter.
The ratio figures of male to female student primary teachers are interesting. In 1975 there were 28 per cent male primary teachers and 72 per cent females. However, those figures fluctuated since then and in the 1981-82 academic year the figure for male teachers was 13 per cent, 11 per cent in 1982-83 and the lowest fixure was 6 per cent in 1990.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): The Minister should place a preservation order on posts immediately.
Because the ratio between male and female teachers has fluctuated over the years it is difficult to discern a reason for the pattern. I am a believer in gender balance, I do not discriminate against either gender. European primary school statistics are interesting. In Ireland 76 per cent of teachers are female and 48 per cent of principals are female; in England 75 per cent of teachers are female and 44 per cent of principals are female; in France 75 per cent of teachers are female and 44.8 per cent of principals are female; in the Netherlands 70 per cent of teachers are female and 13 per cent of principals are female. Ireland's ratio of male to female primary teachers is in line with those figures. In Spain 60 per cent of teachers are female and 39 per cent of principals are female. In Sweden education statistics are slightly different and 98 per cent of teachers are female.
I am concerned about this matter and I am glad to have the opportunity to discuss it. We know that more males than females fail to meet the minimum education standard required for teaching. Fewer males than females attend interviews for teaching posts when called, more males than females fail the interview and more males than females refuse the offer of a place. I do not believe lowering standard requirements for entrance to teacher training college is the way to address this matter. We have been able to bring about change in the education graph in other areas and that is the course we should follow in future. Special intervention programmes have been set up to encourage girls to take higher level mathematics to ensure that an increasing number of them take up engineering and science subjects. Such an intervention programme is a positive one introduced in secondary schools and it is backed up by the work of career guidance teachers. I want to pursue positive programmes such as this at second level in order to have more males than females applying. Having applied, more would turn up and, subsequently, more would pass and when they are offered jobs, more would take them up. I can tell the House the negative side to this but we must move forward and address something which is of concern in other communities and other countries. We have something to learn from the positive intervention programmes that have been introduced on behalf of girls in the school system. There has been a 1 per cent rise this year but the figures fluctuate to such an extent that I can see no reason for it. I would prefer at this stage to look at the possibility of an intervention programme at second level, but lowering the standard for entry to teacher training colleges is not and should not be the answer.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): Double the salary, Minister.
I am a believer in gender equity in primary school education as in every walk of life. I am glad to see that there seems to be an increase of male teachers at primary level, but how is it that at primary level only 30 women out of 163 people are inspectors? There is a need for gender balance there too. What is the level of male applicants for teacher training colleges? I have a very good idea why the figures dropped so much in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The point about the school inspectors is certainly true. However, there is a positive side to coming into the House to answer questions and it is the amount of information that is brought to one's attention. We are not an extraordinary dinosaur in the European Union. The subject concerns our other partners. If we were to move forward and introduce positive steps it would interest other education systems in other territories.
That concludes questions for today.
On a point of order, before the Minister leaves, I tabled Question No. 80 and it upsets me——
Resume your seat, Deputy, please.
I am new to this House but, on a point of order, am I not entitled to get information I want? I put a question and I respected the Minister enough to come into the House. The information I was to get has been given to a Government Deputy who was running around the constituency in the past hour.
That is not a point of order.
I thought this House worked in an honourable way.
New Deputy or not, you must resume your seat. The Deputy has had a lot of latitude.
No, I have had none. This is disgraceful.