Going back to work can be a hectic proposition for female teachers who have just given birth. Some choose to quit from the teaching profession to become full-time moms. While it may be the best career shift for some, the vast retirements of countless female teachers have avoided countries of qualified professionals.
In the UK, government officials plan to launch an online job share service in order to encourage female teachers to return to work. The website would allow female teachers to search for job share partners after they have permanently left their previous schools.
In an interview with The Independent over the weekend, education minister Nicky Morgan revealed that only 37 percent of senior teachers are females even though three-quarters of all teachers are women. This might be due to what she calls "institutionalized sexism."
"The issue is, until you help women to senior positions to become role models, it's a self-perpetuating cycle," she said. "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 added that a quarter of female teachers who quit their jobs were aged between 30 and 39. This meant only a few women make it to the top of the teaching hierarchy and become senior teachers.
In addition to the online job share service, the UK government would also be offering guidance in the form of coaching and training so that female teachers can easily transition back to the classroom. Furthermore, schools will be taught on how to manage flexitime schedules for female teachers, as per Schools Week.
"Too many women still feel unable to return to work after having a child," Morgan lamented. "I want to ensure there are no limits to what women can achieve so we make the most of the exceptional talent we have in the teaching profession."
