THE Ministry of Education is embarking on a robust marketing and recruitment drive to reverse the decline of male teachers in the profession. The campaign, initiated by Education Minister Shaik Baksh, is being executed by senior officers from the Ministry of Education with support from World Bank.
Educators are becoming increasingly aware of the need for the presence of male teachers in order to turn around boys’ underachievement and provide fair role models for both boys and girls, and by extension, young men and women.
Generally, it seems that men are opting out of teaching primarily because it is seen as a low paying job, among other factors. This situation is not unique to any particular country and many have made attempts to narrow the gender disparity in the teaching profession.
Guyana is following suit and the recruitment drive aims to change this growing phenomenon that exists at all levels of the education system, namely the nursery, primary and secondary schools.
The message of the campaign, titled “Be a Man, Teach Guyana”, will be disseminated through several avenues including newsletters, pep talks, brochures, debating clubs, career fairs and advertisements.
The Ministry of Education is of the view that if these efforts are done continuously, the desired change can be achieved, that is, to increase the number of male teachers in the education system.
Data from Ministry of Education Statistics Digest for 2008-2009 have indicated that the ratio of male to female teachers in the education system is 1:247 at the nursery level; 1:7 at the primary level; and 1:2 at the secondary level.
These figures, in comparison with other countries of the world, are not vastly different and generally reflect a worldwide trend.
Notable, according to Martin and Marsh (2006), in England, males comprise 16 per cent of teachers at the primary, in Scotland seven per cent (2003); the United States 22 per cent (2003) and New Zeeland 18 per cent (2005).
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts the figures in Belize at 28 per cent (2005) and El Salvador at 30 per cent (2005), while Tran Quynh Hoa 2008 indicates that there is also 30 per cent of male teachers at the primary level in Vietnam.
Notwithstanding the concerns of the poor number of males in the profession locally, it is interesting and encouraging to note that Hamant France emerged the best graduating student at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) 2010 graduation. He was followed by Kester Thompson who secured second place.
Apart from the drive to encourage more males into the profession, the government has also been making continuous efforts to improve the working conditions and welfare of teachers.
Teachers today enjoy a uniform allowance, a salary increase for upgrading their qualification, those from the coastland performing duties in the hinterland regions receive an additional $30,000 housing allowance, along with a remote incentive allowance, 100 teachers annually receive free scholarships to further their studies at the University of Guyana, and as part of the package, head teachers are entitled to duty free concessions.
In addition, the Ministry of Education is moving to accelerate the housing loans programme for teachers.
The thrust of these interventions is to not only encourage a gender balance in the profession,  but also to ensure that teachers are comfortable and better equipped to deliver a quality education to the nation’s children, so that students leave the school system as rounded individuals who can lead productive lives and make  meaningful contributions to society.