Breaking barriers

Despite major recruitment drives in recent years, men currently represent less than 3% of the UK early years workforce. They are, however, simultaneously becoming more involved in hands-on parenting, with 30% taking on more active roles.

Though men may seem more comfortable with their role as main carers these days, this isn’t yet being translated into opportunities for professional career development.

Interestingly, countries that invest in more coordinated gender equality policies are doing better at encouraging greater male participation: the proportion of male early years educators is more like 10% in Norway, while in Germany, investment via the Men in Kitas campaign over the last decade has helped male participation in the workforce break the 6% barrier.

The UK’s figures, meanwhile, have barely improved over the last 20 years.

The lack of gender diversity is not unique to early years education; there are other workforces historically associated with ‘care’ work where men are underrepresented. Often, the blame for all this is laid at men’s door: we hear that men aren’t interested in this kind of work, that it would threaten their masculinity, or that the pay is not good enough.

For men to be able to consider early years as a career, gender stereotypes need to be challenged. Men need to be reassured that caring for and educating children is far from being ‘women’s work’, and is instead a credible, rewarding professional career. Men also need to know that their contribution would be welcomed: 98% of female educators would like to see more male colleagues in the sector.

Even where settings recognise the lack of men as a problem, all too often, their rationale is that having more men would be helpful in creating a better ‘gender balance’. This effectively strengthens gender stereotypes by suggesting that men and women are fundamentally different, with women cast as more ‘natural’ at caregiving and men offering something different.

This usually translates to “men are better at rough and tumble (with the boys)”, “men like doing outdoors play (with the boys)”, and “we need men to act as role models for the children (boys) who don’t have fathers at home”, or a combination of these. This is problematic in several ways.

I used to hear it a lot when working in early years settings: “Thank goodness you’re here; we need someone for these boisterous boys” or comments like “Brilliant, you can take the boys outside – they’re full of energy”.

Firstly, where is the evidence that women are ‘naturally’ any better at the caregiving elements of early years than men? To suggest so, or build a workforce based on such an idea, is to ‘categorise’ female educators under a stereotype that overlooks the possibility of their other skills (like outdoor play, for example) – just as it does to men.

For balance and to challenge occupation stereotypes, children need male and female role models; thoughts may initially go to children who are growing up without a male role model at home, but we must think beyond that.

Men in early years can encourage different approaches to learning and play, instead offering a positive balance for children. They can reduce gender stereotypes and change perceptions of early education. Best of all, men working in early years can act as pioneers, paving the way for future male generations to opt for this as a career.

Evidence shows that children’s career aspirations are restricted by gender stereotypes at a very young age. By the time they are seven, girls are nine times more likely than boys to say they’d like to be a teacher. Looking at it through this lens, it’s easy to see the long-term benefits that could arise from bringing more men into the field.

The Early Years Alliance believes that the job of educating and caring for our children is not ‘women’s work’, it’s for everybody.

What do you think?

Breaking barriers

Men in early years: the current picture

Breaking down barriers for men in the sector

What can men offer to early years education?