INTO demands action to address teacher gender imbalance

Ireland has one of the highest gender imbalances among teachers in western Europe, according to EU figures.

Almost nine out of 10 teachers at primary level and seven out of 10 teachers at post-primary level in the Republic are female.

It is the widest gender gap in the profession in the last 50 years.

The largest teaching union in the country, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), has called for a fresh initiative to address the low level of men entering teaching training colleges.

“It is an issue of concern that there should be more of a gender balance within teaching,” said an INTO spokesperson. “It is time that the Department of Education revisited what it is doing to make teaching attractive for both genders, particularly males.”

However, the INTO said it was firmly opposed to any attempt at introducing quotas.

Since the 1970s, when men accounted for nearly 40% of all teachers, there has been a significant and steady decline in male participation in the teaching profession both in Ireland and across the EU, particularly at primary level.

The INTO said gender parity was somewhat artificially engineered in the past when one of the three main teacher training colleges — St Patrick’s in Drumcondra — was solely open to men.

New figures show that female teachers are largely over-represented in primary education in the EU, including Ireland.

Female teachers in the Republic constitute 87% of all 32,800 teachers at primary level — slightly higher than the EU average of 85%.

Only Italy and Austria have higher levels of females among primary teachers in western Europe.

At secondary level, there is greater gender balance, although female teachers remain in the majority in all 28 EU member states.

On average, females teachers account for 64% of all teachers in post-primary schools within the EU.

In Ireland, they account for 71% of the country’s 23,900 secondary school teachers — the second highest level among the original EU-15 after Italy.

The INTO

spokesperson said that the gender imbalance did not appear to apply when it came to promotion within Irish schools, as male teachers accounted for a disproportionate number of school principals. Just under 50% of school principals are men.

A spokesperson for Education Minister Richard Bruton said female domination of the teaching profession was an international phenomenon and not unique to Ireland.

“Teacher quality is the most important determining factor influencing student performance,” the spokesperson said.

However, the Department of Education has acknowledged that “a diverse, representative, and gender inclusive teaching profession is also important”.