Douglas Todd: BCTF delegates reject call to respond to drop in male teachers

B.C. Teachers’ Federation leaders are showing scant interest in responding to the way the proportion of male teachers has declined to one in four.

Last month, delegates to the BCTF convention rejected a motion to “take steps to redress the increase in gender disparity in the teaching profession, such as engaging members through a task force.”

The BCTF is not alone in showing little concern for the fall in male teachers. That’s despite a band of North American advocates maintaining male teachers could provide positive role models for boys, who are doing increasingly poorly in kindergarten to Grade 12. Young men, in addition, now account for less than 40 per cent of those in higher education.

“There is a trend, and it’s not a good one for boys. Having a male teacher can help improve a boy’s well-being and confidence,” said retired B.C. public school teacher and counsellor Phil Gardner, who has noticed how boys are becoming less engaged in school.