Rare Male Teachers are Popular in Chinese Kindergartens

Male teachers are growing in popularity throughout China's kindergartens. While rare to find, the role of the male teacher in preschool education has great importance, as many families in China do not have a constant male influence.

Male teachers accounted for less than 3 percent of kindergarten teachers in China in 2017, according to statistics from China's Ministry of Education. Figures indicated that there were about 2.43 million professional kindergarten teachers in China in 2017, of which nearly 2.38 million were women.

As female teachers have long dominated the industry, male kindergarten teachers often surprise new parents.

Male teachers are popular, said Cai Fei, principal of Xuzhou Kindergarten Teachers College, noting that the demand for male teachers exceeds supply every year.

Male kindergarten teachers don't have trouble finding work, and many have already been snatched up before graduation. Others get the job on their first try, and some have even been poached by other kindergartens.

The preschool period is a critical stage for personality formation, and having active male role models for young boys is particularly helpful, said Cai.

As the father is often absent in society today, male teachers can play some of these male roles, which is great for the development of the child's personality, Cai added.

Source: People's daily

Editor: Crystal Huang