6 November 2018

The connections you make with these children provide so much more than reading support, it’s having someone they can look up to and be open and honest with, and by reading books together and relating to the characters, these children can find their place in the world and know that it’s ok to be vulnerable and sensitive sometimes. 

By Mathew Tobin, Senior Lecturer in English and Children's Literature at Oxford Brookes University

The place of men in primary education has always been an interesting one, from the question of male teachers working in the early years to the issue of gender equality in senior positions with men often seen as obtaining management roles by gendered default. In addition, some may consider the role of a male primary teacher less prestigious than that of a secondary one. These positions bring into question privilege and power but also, perhaps, emotional intelligence, empathy and care. Traditionally, many fathers would spend long days out of the house whilst mothers would stay at home and be seen as the primary carer, roles and responsibilities were, to a large extent, culturally bound ( I speak here only from my own childhood experiences growing up on a small estate in rural North Wales). 

Now though, we are in a stage of transition. Those established roles and responsibilities relating to gender and parenting are being dismantled: educational groups such as WomensEd are actively exploring equality in senior roles in teaching and we are, in small steps, starting to see men take greater responsibility in the home and be allowed to be open with their emotions. With all of these statements, I tread a lot of hearsay and personal experience and everyone’s experience will be different yet we do have a notable difference in how many male teachers we have in primary compared to female and the majority of parent helpers who come into school are the same: for many children in the primary years, then, men may be largely invisible. 

My dad, who’s 74 now, does not consider himself to be a reader. Until his late 50s, he claimed to have only read one book, To Kill a Mockingbird, which he loved. He would also admit to the fact that it was mum who provided the hugs and consolation at home, when we were very young, and he who had to dish out the punishment and tell me and my brother to ‘man up’. For men of this era, who may have had little experience of seeing themselves as a reader (actually, my father reads voraciously on a daily basis - newspapers and other information texts and so is a reader) and have learned, perhaps, that being open with their own feelings is a sign of weakness may help explain some of the reasons as to why their presence is largely missing in primary schools. 

Over the years, we have been trying to encourage more male figures into education.  Compared to 20 years ago we are seeing little change in the number of men applying for a three year BA teaching course and, from a post-graduate point of view, we are seeing only a very slight increase, but my knowledge here is limited and based only on my own observations. We need more variety in education roles, not just in relation to gender, but also in terms of cultural and racial diversity, to provide children with a true reflection of the realities around them.  

Research from the National Literacy Trust shows that many boys begin to lose interest in reading at that transition into key stage three. This could be combination of cultural stereotypes, of it being ‘not cool’ to read. It could also be a down to other things starting to interest boys such as gaming and virtual worlds. 

Having positive role models in school, male or female, can only be a good thing so what is it that a man can offer than a woman cannot? The answer is absolutely nothing. So then why this question at all? The only answer that comes to mind, for me, is giving some children something that they might be missing and the opportunity to see that they can be someone different.  

Imagine a child whose only experience of a man around the house is one who continues to model that era of ‘manning up’ or ‘to stop being a girl’ or that they should be outside playing football rather than reading or joining them in playing Call of Duty at the age of 10 rather than enjoying exploring a story together. What if, at school, they spend time with a man who is sensitive, open, caring, a listener, compassionate and understanding: all the things you would want any adult to be. These children then, and perhaps in particular boys, see that they can aspire to be a different kind of ‘man’. That they have full license to be these things, whether these images are projected through the adult sharing a book with them or, of equal importance, sit within the pages of the book being read. 

Specifically with reading, sharing books together creates opportunities for conversation and helps build a bond between the child and person they are reading with.  That is why it’s so important to have men as well as women sharing books and stories.  The right book in the right hands can help that child understand how they feel, helps them understand their place in the world, while creating important relationships for life. Reading and being a reader changes lives forever. Being able to help encourage a child to be an aesthetic reader, to understand better the world around them, gives them better life chances. It can also impact other areas of education, giving them so many more opportunities to succeed.  

Books can provide a window into the world for children, to help them find their place in it and to help support their own emotional wellbeing. Great books can challenge their thinking and entrenched perceptions, be they social or cultural. 

As a reading helper with Beanstalk and a positive role model for children, you can not only change a life, you can actually save lives. The connections you make with these children provides so much more than reading support, it’s having someone they can look up to and be open and honest with, and by reading books together and relating to the characters, these children can find their place in the world and know that it’s ok to be vulnerable and sensitive sometimes.  

Mat is Senior Lecturer in English and Children's Literature at Oxford Brookes University

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