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Website aims to get female teachers back to work after pregnancy Website aims to get female teachers back to work after pregnancy
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The government will launch a job share website to encourage female teachers to return to the classroom after having children, Nicky Morgan has said.The government will launch a job share website to encourage female teachers to return to the classroom after having children, Nicky Morgan has said.
Related: Teachers need flexible working to stop women leaving profession, says thinktank
The education secretary also said a new programme of classroom mentors will help ease women back into work and help stop new mothers dropping out of the profession.The education secretary also said a new programme of classroom mentors will help ease women back into work and help stop new mothers dropping out of the profession.
The Policy Exchange thinktank warned last week that schools needed to embrace flexible working and offer benefits to stop the “shocking waste of talent” that sees women dropping out of teaching permanently after maternity leave.The Policy Exchange thinktank warned last week that schools needed to embrace flexible working and offer benefits to stop the “shocking waste of talent” that sees women dropping out of teaching permanently after maternity leave.
The analysis found that about a quarter of teachers who quit the classroom in recent years were women aged between 30 and 39.The analysis found that about a quarter of teachers who quit the classroom in recent years were women aged between 30 and 39.
The lack of women as heads and in other senior positions was more a result of unconscious bias than institutionalised sexism, Morgan said in an interview with the Independent on Sunday.The lack of women as heads and in other senior positions was more a result of unconscious bias than institutionalised sexism, Morgan said in an interview with the Independent on Sunday.
She hit out at a “crippling waste of talent” – just 37% of headteachers are female despite the fact three-quarters of teachers are women.She hit out at a “crippling waste of talent” – just 37% of headteachers are female despite the fact three-quarters of teachers are women.
The website would enable teachers to look for job share partners, she said, adding: “Only one in four female teachers work part time, compared with nearly half of women in the workforce nationally.”The website would enable teachers to look for job share partners, she said, adding: “Only one in four female teachers work part time, compared with nearly half of women in the workforce nationally.”
Speaking before International Women’s Day, Morgan, whose husband provides the main childcare for their son, said 1,000 new career “coaches” would also help push female teachers into the senior school jobs.Speaking before International Women’s Day, Morgan, whose husband provides the main childcare for their son, said 1,000 new career “coaches” would also help push female teachers into the senior school jobs.
Related: Female headteachers buck a national trend, Bristol-fashion
She said mothers hoping to return to paid work would be given coaching and training to “smooth the transition back to the classroom”. She wants successful senior teachers to sign a pledge offering to coach at least one woman to develop their career.She said mothers hoping to return to paid work would be given coaching and training to “smooth the transition back to the classroom”. She wants successful senior teachers to sign a pledge offering to coach at least one woman to develop their career.
“The issue is, until you help women to senior positions to become role models, it’s a self-perpetuating cycle. Actually what you need is to help women to get to those senior positions. You’ve got to get the people who make the appointments, who draw up the job specification,” she said.“The issue is, until you help women to senior positions to become role models, it’s a self-perpetuating cycle. Actually what you need is to help women to get to those senior positions. You’ve got to get the people who make the appointments, who draw up the job specification,” she said.
Morgan, who said “the only reason I am able to do this job is because [my husband] is at home with our son”, added there was a danger of “group think” if all the top positions are dominated by men.Morgan, who said “the only reason I am able to do this job is because [my husband] is at home with our son”, added there was a danger of “group think” if all the top positions are dominated by men.
“If you have a chair of governors who has a very fixed view of what a headteacher looks like then you are never going to change the mould, and that’s what we must change,” she said.“If you have a chair of governors who has a very fixed view of what a headteacher looks like then you are never going to change the mould, and that’s what we must change,” she said.