Temporary Exemption Application -Catholic Education Office
Legal
Catholic Commission for Employment
Relations
leadership through service to strengthen work relationships
30 August 2002
Director of Legal
Services
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
PO Box 5218
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Fax: 9284 9787
Email: legal@humanrights.gov.au
Dear Madam
Re: Temporary Exemption Application
-Catholic Education Office, Archdiocese of Sydney in relation to Proposed
Scholarships for Male Trainee Teachers
I am writing on behalf
of the Catholic Education Office, Archdiocese of Sydney, ('the CEO') to
request an exemption under section 44 of the Sex Discrimination Act
('the Act').
The CEO plans to
offer teacher training scholarships to 2002 HSC students. It is proposed,
given the current gender inequity between male and female primary school
teachers, to offer the scholarships to male students only.
It is our understanding
that the proposed scholarships may fall within the scope of 7D of the
Act as a special measure intended to achieve equality -in this case as
a strategy to attempt to address the specific imbalance between the proportions
of male and female teachers in primary schools.
However, in the interests
of certainty, the CEO wishes to make a formal application for an exemption
under section 44 of the Act from the application of section 21 of the
Act. We submit that the granting of this exemption would be consistent
with the Act and its objects as set out in section 3.
The following sets
out the basis of this application:
Period of Exemption
The exemption is
sought for a period of 5 years. The position of the CEO is that this may
form part of a longer term strategy to encourage males into primary teaching
and its impact may not be immediate in that the advertising of the scholarships
in 2002 may have a flow-on to increased male applicants in subsequent
years.
Circumstances of Activities
Covered by the Exemption
The exemption is
sought by the Catholic Education Office, Archdiocese of Sydney in the
following circumstances:
1. The CEO is responsible
for the operation of 148 schools falling within the jurisdiction of
the Archdiocese of Sydney - 113 of these schools are primary;2. The CEO wishes
to offer scholarships to 2002 HSC students. It is proposed that advertising
would take place in the secondary schools operating within the Archdiocese
by mid-September and that the scholarships would only be open to male
applicants;3. The scholarships
would provide financial support/incentives to current HSC students to
enrol in Primary Teacher training at University for the 2003 academic
year. It is proposed that they would in turn commit to working within
Catholic primary schools for a period following completion of the teaching
degree;4. Because the
scholarships will only be open to males, the proposed actions of the
CEO may lead to a claim of unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex
under section 21(2)(a) of the Act, in that female students will be denied
an opportunity available only to members of the opposite gender. There
is no relevant exemption in the Act which would apply to this situation.
The scholarships program may, however, be a special measure for the
purposes of section 7D of the Act.
Reasons Why Exemption Should
be Granted
1. The granting
of an exemption in the terms requested would be consistent with the
objects of the Act. Section 3 (d) of the Act has as an object the promotion
of recognition and acceptance within the community of the principle
of the equality of men and women. The proposed action of the CEO
aims to address the imbalance between males and females in the primary
teaching profession, which would in turn help to improve the substantive
equality of boys and girls in primary classrooms;2. According to
2001 statistics produced by the NSW Catholic Education Commission, male
primary teachers in NSW/ACT schools numbered 937 (18%) compared to 4265
females. This figure is distorted given the over- representation of
males in leadership roles -i.e. there is in fact even a lesser proportion
of male classroom teachers;3. According to
the NSW state government commissioned report by Dr Gregor Ramsay Quality
Matters: Report of the Review of Teacher Education New South Wales
(November 2000), in the NSW Department of Education and Training in
1999 only 12% of new primary teachers were male. The report notes that
legislative requirements preclude the preference for the employment
of males in the primary sector but that in general more needs to be
done to attract males to the profession. It further notes the views
raised on the importance of the presence of male teachers in creating
a school culture, especially in lower socio-economic communities, so
that learning and the pursuit of knowledge is seen by students as being
valued equally by males and females (p.46).4. A 1999 study
jointly conducted by the Australian Catholic University and the CEO
titled Men in Primary Schools: An Endangered Species?
(refer Attachment A) found that the feminisation of teaching as profession
is continuing to occur. The report outlines that the number of males
in pre- service primary training appears to be declining. It further
states that enrolments of male primary students at the Strathfield campus
of the Australian Catholic University ('ACU') had fallen to 10% of the
total student teacher population in 1999 from 21% in 1993. The report
states that: such reduced numbers of males choosing primary teaching
are a cause of concern to educational administrators and systemic policy
makers and have wide- ranging educational and social ramifications
(p.1).5. Included in
the recommendations of the above-mentioned report is the statement that
the presence or absence of male teachers has major implications for
the culture of schools and the education of children (p.6). The
report generally argues that, for a range of reasons including the potential
impact of a more balanced teacher population on behavioural and learning
difficulties for boys and on gender stereotype issues, strategies need
to be put in place to attempt to attract more males into the teaching
profession at the primary level.
Other Factors
1. The CEO will
not be seeking an exemption under the NSW Anti- Discrimination Act
1977, because the CEO is generally exempt from the relevant provisions
of that Act;2. Due to the need
to make students aware of the scholarships prior to the breakup for
the HSC, and in order to ensure the smooth administration of the scholarship
program, we request that the Commission deal with this application as
a matter of urgency. It is proposed to advertise the scholarships within
the second week of September.
I trust that the
above information clarifies our proposals and the basis on which we are
seeking an exemption, however, do not hesitate to contact me should you
require additional information or clarification on any aspects of this
matter.
Yours sincerely
Greg McKay
Employment Relations Adviser
Cc Sally Moyle, Director
Sex Discrimination Unit
ATTACHMENT
A
MEN IN PRIMARY
TEACHING: AN ENDANGERED SPECIES?
Ed Lewis - Australian Catholic
University, New South Wales
Jude Butcher - Australian Catholic University, New South Wales
Peter Donnan - Catholic Education Office, Sydney
A collaborative research
project investigating the conflicts and tensions experienced by male primary
teachers and their career choice motivation is currently under way in
NSW. The project aims to investigate the views of male primary teacher
education students, senior secondary school students, male primary teachers
and careers advisors regarding reasons why males study or do not study
primary teaching. The study will also examine factors identified by teachers
and students influencing their staying in or withdrawing from the teaching
profession. A crucial final stage will be the development of strategies
by employing authorities and Australian Catholic University to address
the decline of male applicants in primary teacher education programs.
This paper reports on the first stage of the research project.
Introduction
A "feminisation"
of the teaching work force is occurring. According to Australian Bureau
of Statistics data there are distinct changes occurring in the gender
structure of pre-primary to secondary teachers in Australia. In the period
from 1986-87 to 1997-98 the number of male teachers dropped by 4%, while
the number of females increased by 21 %. In 1997-98 males constituted
30% of the work force, compared to 35% in 1986-87 (ABS Labour Force Surveys,
1999).
In Catholic primary
schools in NSW and the ACT males currently constitute 20% of the work
force, though the proportion of male classroom teachers is lower because
men are over-represented in school executive positions (Catholic Education
Commission, 1997). Teacher educators and principals report many primary
schools with no male classroom teachers at all, or large schools with
just one or two male staff members. Of people leaving teaching in the
prime of their careers (35 -49 years of age) males drop out at more than
double the rate of female teachers (ABS Labour Force Surveys, 1999).
At the tertiary level
the number of males in pre-service primary teacher training appears to
be declining. Year 12 boys do not regard teaching, and primary teaching
in particular, as a worthwhile career. Enrolments of male primary students
at the Strathfield campus of Australian Catholic University (ACU) in 1993
represented 21 % of the total student population, whereas by 1999 the
numbers had declined to 10%. Such reduced numbers of males choosing primary
teaching are a cause for concern to educational administrators and systemic
policy makers and have wide-ranging educational and social ramifications.
Among other factors the lack of male role models or authority figures
in schools is popularly associated with discipline problems, the greater
incidence of behavioural and learning difficulties among boys and their
poorer academic achievement (Smith, cited by Armitage, 1999).
Choosing teaching as a career
The profession of
teaching has traditionally been regarded as a suitable career for women
and as less suitable for men. Since the end of the second world war the
male primary school teacher has been variously regarded as morally suspect
(Tubbs, 1946), out of place (Kaplan, 1947) or someone who should be actively
dissuaded from making such a career choice (Levine, 1977). It is significant
that similar negative beliefs have recently appeared in the media focus
on child sexual abuse and child protection issues.
In the past two decades
many researchers have advocated an opposing view that men should be involved
in primary teaching in order to counter the "feminised" environment
(Brophy & Good, 1973) or to help break down traditional gender stereotypes
by acting as role models (Greenburg, 1977). The prevailing wisdom of such
positions appears to be that more men in primary schools will provide
a wider range of personality types which will help decrease discipline
and learning problems and lead to improved achievement by boys. Connell
(1996) provides a conceptual framework derived from research into the
education of boys which clearly points to the need for such male role
models who embody "multiple masculinities" in primary schools.
Yet the issue is
raised of whether the lack of balance between male teachers and female
teachers in primary schools really matters. Yee (1973) advocated that
the staffing of schools had less to do with gender than with important
qualities in the teachers involved: the common personality traits of men
and women teachers that influenced how they interacted with children.
This view continues to maintain support and has recently being described
as the "so-what" factor (Smith, cited by Armitage, 1999).
The traits which
male and female teachers shared in common were identified by Seifert (1985).
Both genders were motivated equally in liking children, being willing
to serve the school system, but at the same time felt isolated by their
work and emotionally drained by it. An additional burden imposed on men
was learning to cope with reactions of surprise on behalf of parents and
the public to their role as a male in teaching.
In relation to pre-service
training, research suggests that the demand for primary education courses
is shaped by the interests of the applicants. Among all students entering
teaching the highest proportion indicate predominantly social interests,
with the foremost of these being in helping others (Harvey-Beavis &
Elsworth, 1998). In helping students, however, it is also highly likely
that a male teacher will experience conflict between fulfilling a societal
demand to be a role model, yet having to undertake work typically performed
by women (DeCorse & Vogtle, 1997). In this job his role will often
be solitary, in an environment where his colleagues are females, likely
to be of the same age as his mother, and where his only male company is
likely to be the general assistant or the principal (Smith, cited in Armitage,
1999). DeCorse & Vogtle explain that failure to resolve the above
conflict is likely to be at least one explanation for the low proportions
of males engaged in primary education and the decline of enrolments in
primary teaching programs (1997).
Other important factors
limiting male participation are suggested by Farquhar (1997) and Smith
(cited in Armitage 1999) including:
- low social status
of the primary teacher - poor wages in
relation to the work performed - limited career
path for those not seeking administrative roles - the labelling
of male primary school teachers as homosexual or not "real men" - the current media
spotlight on allegations of child sexual abuse - the fear of being
labelled as a paedophile - the impact of
child protection policies in schools.
Education employing
authorities are concerned about the low numbers of males involved in primary
education and the decline of enrolments in primary teacher education programs.
Policies are currently being developed to create a better gender balance
by attracting more males into teaching. This research project aims to
assist these initiatives by:
- mapping the current
situation regarding male applicants and graduates from primary teacher
education programs; - investigating
the reasons why males are/are not applying for primary teacher education
programs; - documenting factors
which have contributed to the retention of male students in these programs; - evaluating the
effectiveness of strategies developed by the employing authorities and
the Australian Catholic University to address the decline in male applicants.
The study has been
planned in 3 major stages. Table 1 which follows outlines the phases in
Stage 1.
Stage 1 - Understanding the
issue and its context
Action
|
Status |
| Critical review of the literature to identify factors related to male applicants' choice of primary teacher education. |
Initial literature search has been completed |
| Focus group meeting of ACU year 4 male students regarding their perceptions of primary teaching. |
Focus group meeting completed |
| Request CEO Sydney to undertake survey of Year 12 students career choices regarding teaching. |
Data has been collected by CEO Sydney and is currently being processed by ACU |
Table 1 - Stage 1
of the research project
This paper reports
on the second phase of Stage 1, investigating reasons why a group of primary
teacher education students made their career choice and exploring the
tensions and conflicts experienced and identified by them in teaching.
Research plan, methods and
techniques
A focus group of
eight male final year B.Ed (primary) students was set up at the Strathfield
campus of ACU. The interviewer provided a focus question and a number
of sub-focus questions to the group, allowing discussion to occur without
making any comments himself. The following questions were discussed:
Focus question:
- Why have you
chosen and continued studying to be a primary teacher?
Sub-focus questions
included:
- What do you see
as your role as primary school teacher? - How do you think
society regards you as male primary teacher? - How do you think
parents will regard you as male primary teacher? - What do you see
as some of the challenges and difficulties ahead for you as a male primary
school teacher? - What experiences
or people have assisted or deterred you in becoming a teacher while
at ACU? - Do you think teaching
offers a suitable salary and career path? - What are the roles
currently undertaken by men in schools?
Results
A number of key issues
emerged from the views expressed by the year 4 male students during the
focus group discussion. The views of participants were examined and clustered
into three major fields which dealt with: social issues; issues involving
masculinity, often related to child protection; and issues involving the
status and working conditions of teachers.
Social issues
1. There was a sense
of personal and social efficacy expressed in participants' decisions to
play a role in caring for and helping children. This was particularly
apparent in the words of Carl*, a mature age student, who stated:
"I have always
been able to respond well with children and they have always responded
well to me. Having that is a bonus on top of being able to teach..."
Michael, who had
previously done volunteer work with children, revealed that he discovered
that he had good rapport with them and this made him more confident in
his ability to deliver as a teacher. Associated with participants confidence
was the enjoyment of: "watching children learn, watching them grow
and shaping and moulding them." (Carl)
2. There was a sense
of social justice driving participants. These students felt that they
had a contribution to make to the school and society in the occupation
of primary teaching. Carl stated: "I see a male role model in the
school as somewhat of a father figure." He added importantly that:
"This is the
kind of role that the children like because of the single parent and
divorced kind of thing that is happening today."
Malcolm spoke of
his experience in schools with a majority of female staff and his belief
that more males in these schools would open up more opportunities for
children, especially in the area of sport. The balance of male to female
staff in schools should reflect the society in general in order "to
create a proper environment." A belief was also expressed by Robert
that schools with a better balance of male and female staff members had
a better atmosphere and were more "human" than schools where
the balance did not exist. Robert's field experience in schools made him
conclude that male primary teachers were more "blokey and jokey"
and relaxed with their classes more, whereas the female teachers he had
encountered were "more serious" in their dealings with students.
Issues relating to masculinity
and child protection
1. The participants
agreed that many males do not regard primary teaching as a "masculine
job" "It's just like they think primary teaching is like baby
sitting." (Carl)
Paul pointed to the
need for "more male teachers who are good role models, rather than
the weird nerdy ones." In reflecting on his own school experience
in the United Kingdom he recalled that:
"The male
primary school teachers that I had were the weird, nerdy ones, not ones
that you would look up to or aspire to be like -I suppose that they
were the misfits that didn't fit in anywhere else..."
Despite the limited
view of teaching expressed by other males the participants unanimously
saw themselves as strongly fulfilling a masculine role in schools that
was necessary, demanded and expected, especially by other female staff
members. Participants masculine roles in schools included fulfilling sporting,
information, technology and handyman duties. One participant referred
to a female administrative assistant who stockpiled jobs for male students
teachers to do in the school. It was significant that participants did
not view the fulfilling of masculine roles negatively. Rather, it was
seen that great opportunities existed for males in primary teaching, as
long as you were not the only male in a school.
2. A particular tension
which was felt by all participants was the fear of being labelled as a
possible child abuser "because there has been such bad publicity
in the press, and a lot of it has been directed against males," (Carl)
All participants
were aware of clear guidelines given in protective behaviour policies
in studies at university and experience in schools.
Carl stated that
the issue of child abuse was always something that was at the back of
his mind and was something that he worried about. He was concerned that
he could no longer even put his hand on a child's shoulder in order to
comfort or make a child take notice. There were strong feelings on this
issue expressed by other participants:
"I think people
are actually worried about this type of thing. Is it really worth going
through four years of study, going out and there teaching for a couple
of years when one incident which is probably totally innocent could
jeopardise your whole career? A kid goes home and tells his parents
and it your word against theirs." (Sam)"Even if you
are innocent, the accusation is enough. I hate the way it affects your
teaching style and reputation as well. If a female teacher can put her
arm on someone's shoulder. why can't we?" (Malcolm)
Jack's reaction to
the issue of touching children was stated rather poignantly: "You
can't just console someone with your arms folded..."
3. Participants agreed
that there were positive aspects as far as parents' views of their children
being taught by a male teacher. It was felt that parents would expect
that children were getting the discipline that they demanded and they
would be happier with both male and female teachers supervising children
in the playground. Paul believed that having more male teachers might
encourage fathers to be involved in the child's education and the daily
life of the school. Pressure from parents in relation to his gender was
felt by Michael on his first day on a kindergarten class as a casual teacher:
"I went to
the bathroom and I came back to put things in the room. I went out to
the lines and the principal made an announcement that made me feel affirmed.
But it's that initial reaction, the initial shock factor of seeing a
male Well the pressure was on and I felt ticklish inside, to make
sure I did the right thing...I felt if it was Year 6 I wouldn't have
the pressure from the community point of view."
Michael thought that
the parents might be asking themselves some questions as they scrutinised
him, such as:
"Couldn't
they get anyone else ?"
"Has he taught kindergarten before ?
"Does he know about it ?"
"Is it going to be like that movie? [Kindergarten Cop]
Issues relating to the status
and working conditions of teachers
1. The need to enjoy
being a teacher was rated more highly than a high salary.
"I suppose
it's how you view the job. For myself the type of job I want to be doing
is something that I am enjoying. Money is not important as long as I
am enjoying myself, living a life and that's probably the most important
thing." (Michael)
There was an acceptance
that, because schools were government and fee funded, the system could
not afford to pay teachers the salaries that their work deserved and that
equivalent work outside would attract double the starting salary.
2. One participant
had actually been deterred by his teachers at high school from entering
teaching. As he stated:
"I mean that's
[teaching] what you really want to do, so I don't see why I should have
been deterred from it. If a teacher is saying don't do it, then who
are we supposed to listen to?" (Jack)
3. Mixed opinions
were expressed regarding the status of teachers in the community. There
was optimism that the status of teachers was low but was on currently
on the rise, that teachers in country towns were still held in esteem
and that high school teachers had more community status than primary school
teachers. This was wrong because "children do more learning in primary
schools." (Michael)
Discussion
The data collected
by the focus group investigation illuminates what research already says
about the experience of males in primary school teaching. Three major
fields were identified within views expressed by participants. Personal
and social imperatives were manifest in participants' career choice in
that they felt the call to help and care for students and were confident
in their own abilities to deliver education. Tensions and conflicts were
experienced due to the demand of being a male role model in a predominantly
female environment, in relation to child protection and masculinity issues,
and status and working conditions issues.
Two findings within
this study are most significant. The first is the very strong depth of
feeling expressed by participants regarding child protection policies
and the difficulties created for male teachers in the current climate
of allegations or insinuations of sexual abuse. All participants were
strongly affected by this issue and were constantly aware of it. Secondly,
the revelation that teachers actively discourage students from becoming
teachers confirms existing anecdotal evidence and should be of great concern
to the educational community, especially as Australia faces a national
teacher shortage in the early years of the new millennium.
Future Directions
The data collected
by this study will provide a framework for the next stage of the collaborative
research project in which Year 12 students' prospective career choices
regarding teaching will be surveyed. The responses given by the participants
in the focus groups will be useful in devising the survey instrument to
be used to assess the opinion of Year 12 students.
A number of recommendations
can be made as a result of this study:
1. The presence or
absence of male teachers has major implications for the culture of schools
and the education of children. Education employing authorities and university
administrators are showing concern regarding the reduced numbers of males
in primary education and the decline of enrolments in some primary teacher
education programs.
2. Educational administrators,
systemic policy makers and school executive staff need to be much more
aware of the difficulties experienced by males entering primary teaching,
especially in relation to child protection issues. Educators will need
to honestly address tensions existing among male teachers and prospective
teachers in regard to the issue of child protection and recognise the
pressure currently placed on these teachers.
3. The status of
teaching needs to be raised. This subject has recently been examined by
an inquiry of a. committee of the Australian Senate (Commonwealth of Australia,
1999). Teaching needs to be made a more attractive career choice, especially
for men, so that quality candidates are attracted and retained. School
careers advisers, principals and teachers need to actively promote teaching
as a worthwhile career, likely to hold encouraging promotions opportunities
in the 21st century, as an aging work force moves into retirement.
4. Factors related
to male applicants' choice of careers in primary school teaching will
need to be more fully investigated and recruitment strategies developed.
Campaigns to recruit males teachers are currently under way in Queensland,
Victoria and the United Kingdom but have not necessarily been successful.
Further action is warranted.
* Names of participants
referred to in this study have been changed to protect privacy.
References
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Men's primary problem. The Australian. 15.3.99
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Statistics regarding
enrolments were obtained from Australian Catholic University Administration,
Strathfield.
Last
updated 11 November 2002.