Young boys want more male teachers

LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) Boys in primary schools want more male teachers, saying they behave better and work harder for men, research published today said.

The study for the Training and Development Agency (TDA) found that 39 per cent of all boys currently had no men teaching them and one in 12 had never been taught by a man.

However, three-quarters of boys aged eight to 11 wanted teachers of both sexes.

''Previous research has shown that parents want to see more male primary teachers, and now pupils are echoing that,'' said Graham Holley, the TDA's chief executive.

''Both male and female authority figures play an important role in the development of young people, and we want the teaching workforce to reflect the strengths of our diverse society.'' The survey found that 51 per cent of boys said having a male teacher made them behave better and 42 per cent said it made them work harder.

The TDA said although applications from men were up, English primary schools had on average just three male teachers while one in 10 establishments had no men on the staff at all.

REUTERS ARB VV1507