Hanafin concerned over lack of male primary teachers

MORE male students must be encouraged to enter the teaching profession to avoid a gender imbalance at primary schools across the country, Education Minister Mary Hanafin said yesterday.

Ms Hanafin raised concerns as two out of every five primary schools in the country have no male teachers and many others have just one male teacher.

“I am concerned about the fact that the teaching profession is becoming completely feminised on the basis that I don’t think any profession should be just one gender or the other,” she said.