University of Worcester graduates are joining calls for more men to enter careers working with children in early years settings.
Currently, it’s estimated men only make up around 2-3 percent of the workforce when it comes to caring for children from birth to five years old in schools, childminding settings and in social work.
“Growing up without a father meant that I saw male teachers as a father figure and role model,” said Bradley Layton, who studied Early Years, Professional Practice Foundation Degree at the University of Worcester and is currently doing a Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship.
“I would love to see both males and females in this profession, as I think they both play a vital role to children’s development,” he said. “When I worked in a day nursery, I worked with a child who had an adopted mother. He looked up to me as a father figure and we found that his challenging behaviour became less frequent after he formed an attachment to me.”
He added: “As the number of male teachers increases when children go to secondary school, it’s important that children are able to build bonds and relationships with males at an early age.”
Christpher Griffiths studied for his Early Year Foundation Degree and has just graduated.
Alongside his studies, he worked four days a week in primary schools and as a swimming teacher.
“I have come to realise that as a society, we need to be more accepting of men who love working with children,” said Christopher. “The only way this can change is by seeing more men in early years.”
Christopher continued: “I think it’s really important for children to have lots of different role models across all protected characteristics. Failing to show different types of people in early years fails to prepare children for a world where they’re supposed to have equal opportunities and in particular a lack of men in early years reinforces gender stereotypes.”
Michelle Malomo, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Worcester’s School of Education and is a qualified Early Years and Play Work Practitioner with experience in the early years sector.
“It has been traditionally seen as something that women do,” she said. “We need to move away from that because that can give children the impression that to care for people is just a woman’s job, and that’s not correct.”
Michelle said the current imbalance of men and women in early years settings can keep children from experiencing what society is truly like.
“The majority of people that work in the sector are women, so we’re only showing children half of what society is really like. We need children to see in their school communities people of different cultures, adults with disabilities, neurodiverse people- I don’t want to miss anyone out because it needs to be a true reflection of what society is actually like.”
Men working in these environments can provide important opportunities for children to see positive relationships. They can see males and females interacting with respect and working together which is an important part of life.
Michelle said: “We need people from all sectors in life to come and work with children, to give them those adult role models, whether they’re male or female.”
Thomas Weaver, Head of the Department for Children and Families at the University of Worcester and an experienced professional in early years, said: “One of the main barriers is the societal perception that men cannot work in the early years. When I first started, I was often the only male in the team, and I had no male role models I could work with.”
He added: “I quickly came to realise that the most important thing for supporting young children is not gender or identity, but disposition, knowledge and skills.”
For Bradley and Christopher, they’re making a difference in the lives of their pupils but it’s statistically unlikely many children will be taught by males at the all-important early years stage of their education.
Michelle Malamo said: “This goes far beyond schools, because there are many other opportunities for men like support workers, play workers, health visitor assistant roles, all chances for men to involve themselves in working with children.”
The impact men can make on early years provision begins before they’ve arrived for day one of their first placement.
Michelle highlighted the visible difference made to group dynamics by having gender diversity at the University of Worcester.
“At the university, I watch the development of the male students in the way they bring a different perspective to conversations in class, and it’s such a wonderful thing to see.”
“I’ve seen in our male students the ripple effect they can have in a group, as well as helping all of us understand what it means to be a male in the early years sector.”
To learn more about opportunities to study to become qualified to work in a host of early years settings, head to worcester.ac.uk/study, or come along to an Open Day at the University of Worcester.