Boys 'want more men in classroom'

One boy in 12 has never been taught by a man, according to the poll for the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).

Many boys admitted they behaved better and worked harder when taught by men, even though the vast majority of primary teachers are women. The TDA said an average primary school has just three male teachers and one in 10 has none at all.

Graham Holley, TDA chief executive, called on more men to consider careers in the classroom. "The number of men applying for primary school training courses is increasing but not quickly enough," he said.

"Both male and female authority figures play an important role in the development of young people. We want the teaching workforce to reflect the strengths of our diverse society."

The survey of 600 eight to 11-year-olds by YouGov suggested that many boys would welcome more men in schools. The survey found that 39% of boys have no men teaching them and one in 12 has never been taught by a man, 48% of boys believe male teachers set good examples for them and 28% said men understood them better.

More than half (51%) of boys said the presence of a male teacher made them behave better, and many boys said men help them enjoy school more (44%) and feel more confident about themselves (37%).

The poll found a quarter of boys claimed their favourite teacher was a man and nearly one in three would like their own father to become a teacher.

Mr Holley said any men considering a move into teaching should "make the strongest application possible".

"This will often mean getting work experience in schools or working with young people," he said.