The Press
July 12 2003

Male teachers suffer legacy of radical feminism
Letter to the Editor
by Malcolm Long (St Martins, July 9)

Sir--Letters and articles in The Press in recent weeks have lamented and suggested reasons for the small number of male teachers in New Zealand's primary schools.

Reading Lynley Hood's A City Possessed has left me, one of these few male teachers, certain that a major reason for our minority representation is the climate of suspicion of males in primary and pre-school education that is a legacy of the radical feminism of the '80s and '90s.

Until there is a commission of inquiry to correct the law relating to evidence in child sexual abuse trials and to set aside the travesty of justice that has been the fate of Peter Ellis, any person, particular a male, thinking of entering education, or just remaining within the profession, takes an extraordinary risk.

Phil Goff needs to look beyond the reassurance of the inadequately narrow Eichelbaum Report to the real issue confidence in the justice system itself.