Should men be banned from working in nurseries?

Whitewavemark2
Imo nurseries should be incorporated into the education system and be fully funded by the tax payer.
I’m sure Rachel is already considering that source of revenue.

Kandinsky I think you’ve got a good idea, but the problem with getting a job after being out of the business workforce for 5 years is even worse than it was when I did it.

It might also encourage parents to have more than two children. 😱

Galaxy

I am not sure what I feel about the suggestion of a ban in nurseries let alone anything else. The article which prompted the discussion was written by a woman who has been involved in issues relating to safeguarding of women and children her whole life. I am glad those voices are out there. They remind us of the risks.

No one is denying there are risks for women and children from some men.

There are also risk to men from some women and some men.

With appropriate safeguards in place for both women and men, nobody should be excluded from any profession because of their sex.

Oh it absolutely is a low status job, and absolutely nursery care should only be done with the oversight of
schools.

I am not sure what I feel about the suggestion of a ban in nurseries let alone anything else. The article which prompted the discussion was written by a woman who has been involved in issues relating to safeguarding of women and children her whole life. I am glad those voices are out there. They remind us of the risks.

Whitewavemark2
I agree with you, ( apart from the last paragraph ) but it is a fact that working in a nursery is seen as a low status job. A job anyone could do. Let’s face it. You don’t need a Cambridge degree to play with toddlers all day.

Rather than seeing nurseries incorporated into the school system - ( funded by the tax payer ). how about we pay parents to stay at home and look after their own babies/ toddlers.

So do you also think that we should not have male teachers, Galaxy? Schools start with 4 year olds.

There are so many lovely blokes who are great carers. so many men are lovely with their and others children.

Many elderly men prefer a man if it's intimate.

Why are we writing them off as a whole group? As others have said, it's positive having a man in a caring role for boys, the more so for families that don't have a good male role model. its not as if all women are models of ideal caring, I say go by the individual. Yes, of course, we have to be aware of any risks, and there should be good enough oversight of anyone who works with children and vulnerable adults.

As I have said I am not sure about a ban.
I ran a childrens home for those with learning disabilities, we would no more have had men providing personal care to females than fly to the moon. We had numerous male staff.
A high profile case has ignited the discussion but it is the rate if offending that is behind the discussion.
But remember I am not very bright

lemsip

A big fat YES from me!
employed just to fit the new 'woke' way of everything! Those poor small children/babies at the mercy of paedophiles!

Dear me! Are you just ignoring the women who gave abused children in nurseries?

I wholeheartedly agree with you Whitewavemark2 and Bluebelle

I am sad to see the downgrading by posters of the pre-school work carried out by nurseries. Does no one understand that places like sure start were initiated in order to get the children school ready with much work of the first year of primary school done at nursery.

And does no one have any inkling of the importance of these informative years?

They are the most important years in a child’s life!

So good quality, trained staff of both sexes are essential, and care over the nursery one chooses is probably more important than the school your child eventually attends.

Seeing the staff as nose and bottom wipers is beyond underplaying their vital roll and contributes to the poor pay level and attitude to their vital roll.

Imo nurseries should be incorporated into the education system and be fully funded by the tax payer.

GrannyGravy13

Oops premature posting.

As for it’s a job for women Wow! Just Wow!

*It’s the 21st century for goodness sake!*

👏👏 👏

So are you saying that helpless babies don’t deserve a chaperone I haven’t read anyone saying that at all, talk about twisting words to back up your argument David
Male and female carers should always have a chaperone All jobs involving the vulnerable should be better monitored
I can’t remember her name but a female carer suffocated a tiny one in a bean bag last year, she should never have been alone in a room with her
More care in who they take on as carers, but no do not wipe male carers out in any caring role if they are suitable
For those who are saying what man would want to change nappies some men are as good or better in a caring role than a female but ALL men and women need to be thoroughly checked and chaperoned
Skydancer you say you would never allow a baby to be nappy changed by anyone but you!!! I presume any baby you had was with you 24/7 not everyone has that luxury some of us have to work or look after others as well as babies. Some (most) have to juggle their lives with their children and babies and that means sometimes they have to be bathed changed etc by a nanny a daddy, grandparents a carer All can potentially be abusers

Not a good point to mention my current role then.
I went to the LSE if that is any help.
It is a low status profession though.

Galaxy

They are a higher risk for child sexual abuse, there is no if about it
I think it is the particular nature of the client group within nurseries, pre verbal, requiring intimate care, etc etc.

OK, pre-verbal i.e. non-verbal should men also be excluded from special schools, (many non-verbal children)

Homes for mentally and disabled adults, many non-verbal.

Dementia/Alzheimer patients who often retreat into being non-verbal.

I cannot get my head around banning all men from a profession due to a high profile court case 🤷‍♀️

Kandinsky

I never mentioned the pay ( which is rubbish ) I said it was a ‘low status’ profession and it is.
The only girls from my daughter’s school who went into childcare were the not very bright ones.

Wow! now looking after our most precious children is for the not very bright

🪏🪏🪏

They are a higher risk for child sexual abuse, there is no if about it
I think it is the particular nature of the client group within nurseries, pre verbal, requiring intimate care, etc etc.

I never mentioned the pay ( which is rubbish ) I said it was a ‘low status’ profession and it is.
The only girls from my daughter’s school who went into childcare were the not very bright ones.

Galaxy

I am a mother to two sons, they would recognise that men pose a higher risk.

If they are a higher risk they should be banned from being doctors, nurses, teachers, priests, physiotherapists, any role were they can be on their own with a child.

See how ridiculous that sounds…

Oops premature posting.

As for it’s a job for women Wow! Just Wow!

It’s the 21st century for goodness sake!

I am a mother to two sons, they would recognise that men pose a higher risk.

foxie48

Absolutely no, I find it appalling that anyone should question the motivation of someone wanting to work with babies and young children because they are male. What is also offensive is that some seem to think it's ok to pay women poorly for doing a caring job but not men. Words fail me!

I totally agree!

As a mother to four sons, and a Granny to five grandsons I am appalled at the attitude to men on this thread.

Not all men are rapists or abusers, if they have those tendencies they will offend wherever they work (or not work)

Safeguarding should be paramount for both females and males.

Absolutely no, I find it appalling that anyone should question the motivation of someone wanting to work with babies and young children because they are male. What is also offensive is that some seem to think it's ok to pay women poorly for doing a caring job but not men. Words fail me!

There’s a big difference in a man wanting to be a teacher and a man wanting to wipe noses and change nappies all day.
There are two male teachers in my grandchildren’s school ( reception and year 2 ) they’re brilliant!
But being a teacher at a primary school is not the same as caring for nursery age children ( basically babies / toddlers ) not the same at all.

Rosie and anna, thank you. As I stated before, we promoted one of our Early Years male teachers when we established a nursery in school. He was a wonderful teacher and the children and parents were very fond of him.
I am astonished that anyone would query why he might have chosen his career.
I have a DIL with an engineering degree.
She is a very successful woman and a loving wife and mother: she would not have been a good fit as an Early Years teacher at all- however much her gender might suggest that she would.