Women continue to make up the overwhelming majority of Australia’s teachers, raising questions surrounding gender imbalances in the education system.
Females make up 72 per cent of education positions across all schooling levels in Australia, a number that is not unusual in the field, according to data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Teaching has been considered a majorly female dominated profession for decades alongside nursing, midwifery, and general clerks.
Australian Bureau of Statistics Education and Training program manager, Michelle Ducat said in a report that the trend of female dominated professions continues to rise.
“The number of female teachers has increased at a greater pace than male teachers,” she said.
“In 1969, there were 1.4 female teachers for every male teacher.
“Fifty years on that figure has increased to 2.5 female teachers for every male teacher.”
A Canberra Primary School deputy principal, who declined to be named, said the numbers aren’t shocking, and most likely related to societal pressures centred around traditional gender roles.
“As a female, we’re kind of conditioned in society to be caregivers so those roles seem to be a natural step for some,” she said.
“Even in making my decision to become a teacher when I was 18, one of the main reasons was I was thinking about how good this role would be for me when I had kids.
“I was thinking about that so early, and in hindsight I would look at that so differently now.”
Whilst numbers show the majority of Australian classroom teachers are female that number starts to even out as they move into the secondary school sector and particularly into leadership roles.
Data from the 2021 Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership report has revealed that despite the overwhelming majority, men are far more likely to be promoted to principal and executive positions.
The numbers are nearing a more even split of male to female leadership staff despite the dominating scope of women in the field.
Source: AITSL, 2021.
Whilst there is a push for more male representation in the teaching field, change doesn’t look so promising. University teaching student Bree Beatie said the statistics are much the same for the education sector.
“My University teachers are mostly female,” she said
“I have one male teacher and he’s in PE but that’s it. At least three quarters of the students in my class are females as well.
“By society standards, I don’t think it’s a role that males are typically drawn towards.
“It’s pointed towards women because it’s that ‘caregiving’ role but I don’t think it should be about gender, it should be about the type of person you are and connections you make.
“If you love the job you love the job and that’s it.”
Gender imbalance is a significant issue in the education system despite its current trajectory, more male representation is needed in classroom teaching roles to oppose the misconceptions surrounding teaching as a female profession.
Additional reporting: Marcus Stevanoski.