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A specialist in boys
education has criticised the ban by airlines on male passengers sitting next
to unaccompanied children. Michael Irwin, a former
school principal and now senior lecturer at Massey University’s College of
Education says the policy adopted by Air New Zealand and Qantas sends a
signal to children and the wider community that men cannot be trusted. “It’s sending a very
misleading message into society that men are not caring, loving concerned
individuals when it comes to young children. It’s saying to society that it’s
not men’s role to be involved with their children or any children, and that’s
ridiculous.” Mr Irwin says those
messages were harmful not just to men, who could be made to feel alienated
from parts of society focused on children, such as schools, childcare centres
and nursing, but to children. “If a child falls down
and hurts themselves and needs picking up or comforting themselves, is a man
supposed to stand around until a woman can be found to help?” “I believe it sends a
signal to children, ‘don’t trust any man’.” |
