Big rise in male primary teachers
Your support helps us to tell the story
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
The number of men training to be primary school teachers in England has increased by more than 50 per cent in the past four years.
Figures from the Teaching Agency (TA), which is responsible for initial teacher training, show the increase among men is five times greater than among women.
Lin Hinnigan, interim chief executive of the TA, said: "Primary teaching is increasingly a career for the most able graduates. It offers the opportunity to earn a good salary and progress quickly."
Darren McCann, who was promoted to deputy head of a primary school in Astley, Greater Manchester, after teaching for seven years, said: "I'd always done well at school and initially thought I'd want to be a doctor or a lawyer.
"This all changed after I visited a school for work experience. A career in teaching shot to the top of my list."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments