Ms Caitlin Faye Maniti:

The simple answer to that is "No". If anything, any of my peers who would like to teach would like to teach English, home economics or those stereotypical subjects where females are more attracted to teaching, because they were not in an environment where they were encouraged to learn and teach a STEM subject. There is a survey from iWish, an organisation that encourages females to take up more STEM subjects, which found that 43% of female students who are in co-educational schools are more likely to drop out of their STEM subject in the senior cycle. The Cathaoirleach said that teachers have influence and if there was a female teacher teaching STEM subjects, I would say they would be more aware of the biases surrounding females who do take these STEM subjects and of that environment.

My colleague in the USI stated that if you cannot see it, you cannot be it. Having a role model and everyone singing off the same hymn sheet is important to see.