Masculinity missing in kindergartens
January 26, 2013, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MANY parents and educators have voiced concern that the lack of male teachers in preschool education is creating a lack of "masculine" environment for youngsters.
A workshop to encourage more men to become involved in early childhood education opened in the Minhang District in early January.
Twenty-five kindergarten teachers all gathered for the first session. They represent only about 1 percent of kindergarten teachers in the district.
That compares with 10 percent in the US and 7 percent in Japan.
"At first, I was the only male teacher in a kindergarten," said Yuan Fa.
"Then two more men were hired. We have our problems. It's hard to relate to female colleagues when we want to talk about cars, football and the like, and they aren't interested."
Conventional bias and low pay are blamed for the lack of men in early childhood education.
Organizers of the workshop hope to develop the sort of camaraderie that might attract other men to consider work in this field.
Kindergarten principals are being advised to bear male recruitment in mind.
"The demand for a masculine presence in preschool education is simplely a matter of common sense," said He Jinkui, the only man heading up a kindergarten in Minhang District.
"The existing evaluation system for preschool teachers is biased toward female teachers," he added.
"We need to make the process more diverse."
A workshop to encourage more men to become involved in early childhood education opened in the Minhang District in early January.
Twenty-five kindergarten teachers all gathered for the first session. They represent only about 1 percent of kindergarten teachers in the district.
That compares with 10 percent in the US and 7 percent in Japan.
"At first, I was the only male teacher in a kindergarten," said Yuan Fa.
"Then two more men were hired. We have our problems. It's hard to relate to female colleagues when we want to talk about cars, football and the like, and they aren't interested."
Conventional bias and low pay are blamed for the lack of men in early childhood education.
Organizers of the workshop hope to develop the sort of camaraderie that might attract other men to consider work in this field.
Kindergarten principals are being advised to bear male recruitment in mind.
"The demand for a masculine presence in preschool education is simplely a matter of common sense," said He Jinkui, the only man heading up a kindergarten in Minhang District.
"The existing evaluation system for preschool teachers is biased toward female teachers," he added.
"We need to make the process more diverse."
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