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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Call for more male nursery staff | Call for more male nursery staff |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Men are being urged to take jobs in nurseries after a survey suggested many parents want their toddlers to have more contact with male role models. | Men are being urged to take jobs in nurseries after a survey suggested many parents want their toddlers to have more contact with male role models. |
| For every 100 people working in childcare, only two are men. | For every 100 people working in childcare, only two are men. |
| The Children's Workforce Development Council questioned 1,000 parents about the issue of men working in nurseries. | The Children's Workforce Development Council questioned 1,000 parents about the issue of men working in nurseries. |
| Single mothers appear to be particularly concerned, with 66% saying they would like a man to be involved in their child's development. | Single mothers appear to be particularly concerned, with 66% saying they would like a man to be involved in their child's development. |
| However, of the parents questioned, 59% said there was not a single man employed at the nursery to which they sent their child. | However, of the parents questioned, 59% said there was not a single man employed at the nursery to which they sent their child. |
| 'Job for a man' | 'Job for a man' |
| The survey suggests 17% of children have fewer than two hours of contact time per week with a male adult, and 39% have less than six hours a week. | The survey suggests 17% of children have fewer than two hours of contact time per week with a male adult, and 39% have less than six hours a week. |
| The idea of male workers has been welcomed in one London nursery | The idea of male workers has been welcomed in one London nursery |
| Just over half of those surveyed, 57%, said they believed men and women had different skills to offer young children in their care. | Just over half of those surveyed, 57%, said they believed men and women had different skills to offer young children in their care. |
| Currently around 3,000 men work in early years childcare - about 2% of the workforce. | Currently around 3,000 men work in early years childcare - about 2% of the workforce. |
| The CWDC is calling for more men to consider working in early years settings. They say it is crucial for children under the age of five to have contact with a responsible male adult. | The CWDC is calling for more men to consider working in early years settings. They say it is crucial for children under the age of five to have contact with a responsible male adult. |
| Thom Crabbe, the council's national development manager, said the career could bring great rewards. | Thom Crabbe, the council's national development manager, said the career could bring great rewards. |
| "Male workers will get to work in a challenging, stimulating environment with like-minded professionals dedicated to the development of children - with positive benefits to babies, toddlers and young children to families and communities," he said. | "Male workers will get to work in a challenging, stimulating environment with like-minded professionals dedicated to the development of children - with positive benefits to babies, toddlers and young children to families and communities," he said. |
| "Traditionally, it's not been seen as a job for men, and we need to challenge that. | "Traditionally, it's not been seen as a job for men, and we need to challenge that. |
| "The rewards and job satisfaction reported in early years childcare is very high for both women and men," he added. | "The rewards and job satisfaction reported in early years childcare is very high for both women and men," he added. |
| However, campaign group the Daycare Trust, said it was unlikely many more men would be attracted to the career until wages were improved in the sector. | However, campaign group the Daycare Trust, said it was unlikely many more men would be attracted to the career until wages were improved in the sector. |
| Male role models | |
| Tricia Pritchard from the union Voice - which represents nursery nurses and other childcare and education staff across the UK - said children needed male as well as female role models. | |
| "There are far more children nowadays who come from one parent families and, generally speaking, those one parent families have a female parent rather than a male parent, so children aren't getting a male role model at home," she said. | |
| "And at nursery and in school - because of the predominantly female workforce - they aren't getting a male role model there either. | |
| "However, unless more is done to improve the pay, working conditions, training, career development and status of nursery staff, I fear that men - and, increasingly, women - will not be attracted to childcare as a profession. | |
| "The problem is self-perpetuating - as children go through nurseries with predominantly female staff, they've grown up perceiving it as a female profession, so when young men come to choose their own career, they don't tend to think of childcare because they see it as 'female.'" |