Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her campaign to attract more men into teaching is successful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13525/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of the decreasing number of males entering the teaching profession, and the issue is of concern to me. That is important to attract more men into teaching for a number of reasons, not least of which is the positive role models that teachers provide in children's lives and the desirability of having both male and female role models in our schools. I genuinely believe that teaching is an attractive profession for both men and women. Teaching is fulfilling work which makes a huge social contribution. With the increases in teachers' salaries under partnership agreements and benchmarking in recent years, it is also now a well-paid job.

This Government wants to attract and reward the best teachers. In addition to increasing teachers' salaries, we have also undertaken other initiatives to enhance the status of the profession. Not least of these is the establishment of the Teaching Council as a professional regulatory body. In November 2005 I launched the report of the primary education committee, Males into Primary Teaching. The primary education committee was established to examine a range of issues on males entering primary teaching, and to make recommendations on short-term and long-term strategies to increase the numbers in this regard. One of the key recommendations in the committee's report is that a co-ordinated promotion campaign, which would encourage boys as well as girls to enter primary teaching, should be undertaken. This promotion campaign commenced on 24 January, and is currently ongoing. The campaign focuses on a number of key target audiences, including students, parents, teachers and guidance counsellors. It is too early to evaluate the promotion campaign. However, the ongoing campaign and the levels of males entering primary teaching will continue to be closely monitored by officials in my Department.