Nursery World - Time for action on men in childcare

With the proportion of men working in early years stuck at just two per cent, it's time for the Government to set recruitment targets to address the gender imbalance once and for all, says David Wright.

In many respects, our attitudes regarding diversity, equal opportunities and social mobility have progressed in recent decades but we know that there is still a long way to go to achieve a more equitable and integrated society.

Through our culture, the values and expectations we hold in common, we still maintain entrenched stereotypes when it comes to certain roles which we associate with gender. 'Childcare' is one such profession which continues to be perceived as 'women’s work'.

Despite attempts to professionalise our sector in recent years, our increasing knowledge of neuroscience and the fundamental importance of early childhood development and the explicit rebranding of what we do as early years teaching, cultural mores continue to present barriers to entry for men. The proportion of males employed in the UK early years workforce persists at less than two per cent.

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