Scholarships for Male Teachers

In March 2004 there was a Federal Government move to override sex discrimination laws to increase the number of male teachers.  The Government wants to recruit more men because it is concerned about a lack of male role models in schools. It plans to allow schools to offer scholarships to male teachers.

Federal Education Minister Dr Brendan Nelson said he is concerned about a lack of male role models in schools, with men making up just 18 per cent of those training to become teachers.  

The Federal Government will have to rely on the support of the Greens and Independent senators it is to proceed with the plan. 

Both Labor and the Democrats have rejected the proposal, which was introduced into Parliament on 10 March 2004.

But Federal Opposition education spokeswoman Jenny Macklin says part of the solution is paying teachers more.

"Labor is putting forward some positive proposals to get more male teachers in our schools to make sure boys do better at school," Ms Macklin said.

Democrats education spokeswoman Senator Lyn Allison agrees.

"Young men already see teaching as not a very lucrative career," Senator Allison said.

She says until women are given scholarships to enter male-dominated professions like engineering, then watering down the Sex Discrimination Act is inappropriate.

Meanwhile, the director of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Sydney, Brother Kelvin Canavan, who first sought to offer male-only teaching scholarships, has appealed to the Opposition parties to support the Government's legislation.

"We have to address the gender balance in primary schools and I think this can only have a beneficial effect for the children," he said.

"This is not discriminating against women because the other scholarships we offer would continue to be offered in the same way."

Only one in five primary teachers across the country are men.

Viewpoints by the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Women's Electoral Lobby,  Eva Cox and Senator Natasha Stott Despoja 

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