The number of young male primary teachers is no longer declining. Figures recently released by the Government show there were around 930 men aged under 25 serving as primary teachers in March 1999. This compares with fewer than 900 two years earlier. Although the rise is not dramatic, it does reflect the fact that more men are now training as primary teachers.
Over the same period, there was a 5 per cent rise in the number of female primary teachers aged under 25, from 9,000 to just over 9,500. In 1999, some 3 per cent of male and 6 per cent of female primary teachers were aged under 25. These figures mean that, on average, each local education authority has only six men under the age of 25 as primary teachers.
In secondary schools, there are fewer teachers aged under 25. In 1999, there was ony around 6,700 young teachers, just over 100 more than in 1997. Indeed, there was a slight fall between 1997 and 1999 in the number of young men to just over 2,000. In comparison, the number of women under 25 teaching in secondary schools rose by about 150 to just fewer than 4,700. These figures may represent difficulties in recruitment to secondary training courses during the latter half of the 1990s.
As is to be expected, virtually all these teachers were still on the teachers’ pay spine at below point nine. However, according to the Department for Education and Employment figures, at least one man had made it to deputy headship in a primary school before his 25th birthday. After the age of 25 men, particularly those in primary schools, seem to achieve promotion much faster than women.
