‘Equity is the application of a particular notion of fairness: positive discrimination. In schools, it involves the provision, not of equal resources, but of unequal resources and attention to groups of students so that fairer outcomes can be achieved.’

(Alison Jones. Politics, Policy, Pedagogy Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand 2000).

E.g. At the start of a new school year the teacher asked a girl to share her holiday experiences with the class. Once she had finished the girl had to choose the next speaker. Not surprisingly, she chose another girl. When each and every girl (however none of the boys) had had the opportunity to speak the teacher announced that there wasn’t any time for further speakers. At this two of the boys’ mothers remarked on the obvious and left the room in disgust. The tone had been set for the year.

From that year my son had only six pages of work in his maths book. The following year he was scoring 25% in tests when I enrolled him in after school classes for only one hour each week. His improvement was dramatic. He was soon scoring 95% in tests (often 100%). Similarily, through his attending a computer club, again for only a hour each week, he was able to gain a ‘High Distinction’ (99 percentile) in the Austalian Schools Compitition.

And also from Alison Jones;

‘Boys’ Domination of Airspace and Teacher Attention’

‘Studies of the gendered use of space tend to show consistently that men take up more room when they sit or stand,…’

(Alison Jones).

Oh I’m so sorry, I must remember to cross my arms and legs twice whenever I’m in the company of ladies!

In these cases the children - presumably due to lack of contact and novelty - would attempt to monopolise the teacher or parent’s attention and generally watch their every move!

Having the opportunity for contact with quite a few early childhood teachers it seems obvious to me there is a great deal of support for men to enter the industry.

Although there are certainly a VERY few who are suspicious and hostile - however, in those cases I observed, those individuals were basically somewhat questionable individuals whose behaviour was similar to their other female colleagues.

It should instead be something along the lines ‘After ridding the pre-school teaching profession of men, based on a baseless hysteria of possible sexual abuse, that any man even vaguely seen to ‘touch’ a kid is clearly a pedophile, we can now revoke the no-touching policy, since with less than 1% of the industry being male, we have won our anti-male cause’