Graduate wants to see more men in teaching

FIRST: Ryan Fickling, 27, is the first male to have graduated from Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand with a bachelor of teaching, majoring in early childhood education. PHOTO/MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM

One of Northland's newest teaching graduates thinks males need more encouragement to join the early childhood sector.

Ryan Fickling, 27, graduated last month from Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand with a bachelor of teaching, majoring in early childhood education.

Mr Fickling, who worked at the Smart Start Preschool in Kamo for the last five years, was the first male graduate from the programme in Whangarei.

"When they [the children] are new in the first few weeks you can pick the ones that don't have a strong male figure at home," he said.

Despite being told during his teenage years he was good with children, Mr Fickling was adamant teaching was not for him.

"That was the last thing I wanted to do," he said.

However, after working at a summer camp in the United States he changed his mind and gave up working in retail and as he was a man he was unsure how people would react.

"A lot of people think that that's not how society should run," he said. "But I've only had one person outside of the centre that disagreed with it."

As in most of New Zealand, there were not a lot of males teaching early childhood in Northland. That could be changed by greater awareness and more scholarships for men, he said.

The best part of his job was seeing children progress in their development, Mr Flicking said.

"I do believe that you're born for it," he said. "You have to really enjoy it."

While he could have continued working without the qualification, Mr Fickling said he would like to have the option of working overseas, where the qualification was needed.

Studying where he did allowed him to stay and work in Whangarei. He was one of 18 students to graduate last month from the course.

Head of the Whangarei teaching base, Pikihora Brown-Cooper, said qualified teachers lift learning outcomes for children in early childhood education.

"We are immensely proud of our graduates' hard work and determination," she said. "With teachers like these, the future is bright for our young tamariki."