Do we need more men?

Ross Donaldson is the only male nursery nurse at Lexden Lodge Kindergarten in Colchester, working with 18 female nursery nurses. That is unusual – the majority of nurseries do not employ any male workers at all. “I think there is a label attached,” says Donaldson. “If you say ‘nursery nurse’, rightly or wrongly you automatically think of a lady. I don’t think men are put off by working in a nursery; I think it is more that it’s not an avenue they think about.”

The number of men staying at home to look after children might be increasing, but when it comes to the workplace, male childcarers are conspicuous by their absence. While this dearth is most notable in the childcare sector – just two per cent of nursery workers are male – the children’s and young people’s workforce as a whole is significantly skewed towards women. Whether in health, education, youth justice, play work, social care or youth work, the voluntary sector, independent sector or public sector, a profes­sional that works with children is significantly more likely to be female than male.