Call to attract more men to teaching

Omokoroa Point School associate principal Stephen Hall

The number of male teachers has increased in Tauranga and is almost 5 per cent higher than the national average.

However, one school principal is concerned the figures will drop as baby boomers retire.

Figures from the Ministry of Education show in 2014 there were 485 male teachers employed at state or state integrated schools compared to 463 in 2012.

Nationally, as at April 2014, 15,399 (26.2 per cent) teachers were male and 43,308 (73.8 per cent) were female - with 30.9 per cent of teachers in Tauranga registered as male.

Ministry deputy secretary of student achievement Dr Graham Stoop said it was important for children to have more men in teaching and for children to have positive role models. "We are focussed on raising the profile and status of the teaching profession so that we continue to attract the best talent including more men. Evidence tells us the most important factor in lifting student achievement is the quality of teaching."

Otumoetai College principal Dave Randell said the school had 141 teachers and 74 were female but most of the teachers nearing retirement were male. "Over the next few years I can see in this school the majority of people retiring are men so the situation is going to be compounded. This old world knowledge and the people who have the ethos of this place are going to leave and you have to try and get that balance."

"It's something we have been working on for the last five years ... and it is getting more difficult."

Teachers, regardless of gender, needed to spark enthusiasm and belief in young people, he said. "You motivate them to learn, long gone are the days that you stood in front of a class and were a transmitter of knowledge."

Western Bay of Plenty Principal Association president Dane Robertson said finding good teachers was the first priority, not gender. "You have to have a passion and enjoy doing it or else you are just not going to survive in the job and not last especially in primary schools."

Males tended to teach older students because in "primary there is a little bit more of a maternal type of relationship building."

However, he said it would be pointless to throw money into attracting more male teachers. "It's just not going to work like that."

Mr Roberston was the principal at Kaimai School and was the only male staff member.

Omokoroa Point School principal Vicki Knell said there were even fewer males in early education so that affected the natural progression to primary school. A male teacher was likely to be more direct and they were also sensible on what could and could not be achieved, she said. It had nine teachers and one was male.

A school principal who did not want to be named, said there were not enough male teachers but more support was needed to improve the quality of teaching. "We need better pay. More support to meet school needs and more aspirational opportunities."

Principal inspired by supportive figure

Omokoroa Point School associate principal Stephen Hall (pictured) has been on the job for 25 years and knew as a youngster he wanted to be a teacher.

The 45-year-old said he made up his mind in standard three but was influenced by Mr Hill, "a pretty cool guy" who was one of his first male teachers.

"He did some interesting work with us, he got in and mingled and played." He was supportive but pushed students to excel as well, Mr Hall said.

"So he was quite inspiring."

Guiding young people were his main motivators and there was an opportunity to do that at primary school, he said.

"The beauty of primary school is by the time they have gone through hopefully they will have come across a teacher that has connected with them."
Being the only male teacher on staff did not bother Mr Hall either.

Although the job was hard work it had turned out to be the perfect career choice, he said.