Women teachers held back by sexism

Sexist attitudes are holding women teachers back in their careers, stymying their ambition and undermining their achievements, a conference organised by the NASUWT teachers’ union, has heard.


Nearly a quarter (23%) of those attending the union’s women teachers’ consultation conference at the end of last year cited sexist attitudes as the factor most adversely affecting women teachers’ career development.


Over a third (34%) cited discriminatory practices against older teachers, such as the misuse of capability procedures, as the issue which most affects older women teachers.


Women at the conference described being passed over for promotion or belittled for working part time, facing greater barriers to moving into leadership roles, enduring sexist jokes from pupils and colleagues and being asked by managers if they were planning to get pregnant.


A real-time electronic poll of conference attendees also found that just 6% said their school or college is very effective in supporting teachers’ mental health and well-being while 43% said their school was not effective. 


Chris Keates, the union’s acting general secretary, said that while women make up the majority of the teaching profession, “they continue to face discrimination, inequality and sexism in too many workplaces”. 


She called for a seismic shift in employers’ attitude and for effective government action to address these unacceptable practices.

https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/article-listing/sexist-attitudes-blighting-women-teachers-lives.html