Why men won’t teach
The plummetting proportion of men in teaching has been explained as the result of poor salaries. A more likely cause is the stigma that surrounds men working with kids. New research published in the Times Educational Supplement found that on average men make up only 13 per cent of primary school teachers – down from 23 per cent in 1980. In Reading, only seven per cent of primary school teachers are male. It’s not hard to see the problems with this. A survey last year found that parents worry about boys lacking a male role model at school. Boys are particularly susceptible…
When two isn’t company
A couple of people have emailed me to say that it’s now Rotary Club policy for Rotarians to always go out in twos – when they are driving an old woman to the shops, say, or leading children on a walk. Not for mutual support, but for each to ensure that the other isn’t abusing the young or old person in their care. Child protection guidelines for sports training also insist that adults work in pairs. Oxford University, for example, advises that student coaches and volunteers must work in twos when they are supervising children in the changing rooms. Other guidelines suggest…
Changing times for football coaching
In an interview for the Daily Mail, Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson reflected on how times have changed for youth football coaching: “’Today is very different from when I started as a coach,’ he says, pointing out that in 1974, when he became manager of East Stirlingshire, the drive came from people like himself, parents and youth clubs. ‘Now I’ve got 30 staff here. We’ve got welfare officers who deal with parents, we’ve got an education programme, child safety; every coach has to do a programme under the Child Protection Act. I had to do it myself. So we’re dealing with young…
Campaign Against Vetting
Those now being vetted include 16-year-olds teaching younger kids to read, parents volunteering at school, and foster carers’ friends. Running an after-school club is now subject to more stringent security tests than selling explosives. The Manifesto Club is leading the national opposition…