Feminisation of Education: A Force for Good?
This paper was first delivered to WomenEd Scotland as a provocation in November 2024.
Women in Education – Are We the Cinderellas?
For decades, women in education have been the unspoken backbone of the Scottish schooling system. Yet despite being essential, we have often remained overlooked, undervalued, or underappreciated—just like Cinderella before the ball. While significant change has occurred over the last 35 to 40 years, the journey toward recognition and leadership equality is still very much underway.
A Shift in the Demographics
In sectors like Primary and Additional Support Needs (ASN), women have long been the majority. In fact, in these spaces, it would be hard to argue that women are underrepresented. However, the picture becomes less rosy when we look at leadership roles. When I was part of the Senior Management Team (SMT) in the 1990s through to the early 2000s, the leadership rooms—mine, and many others across Scotland—were still dominated by male voices.
Yes, the gender balance is improving, but have the attitudes truly caught up? Think back to Tenko, the British drama that illustrated the strength of women surviving in hostile environments—it often feels like a metaphor for navigating the educational leadership landscape. A school near to me was often referred to as ‘tenko’ as the SLT was predominantly female!
Hitting the Glass Ceiling
Data shows that while there has been an increase in the number of female headteachers, many still encounter a glass ceiling when aspiring to leadership in secondary schools. There’s a visible rise, yes—but at what cost?
The notion of “feminisation” in education is heavily debated, and research has explored its implications across various sectors. Consider the historical shift: as women moved from textile manufacturing into white-collar work, the burden of production was simply outsourced—landing, for example, in sweatshops in Bangladesh. This leads us to ask: in education, what has been the true cost of increasing female presence?
Are Salaries a Signal?
In Scotland, teachers’ salaries are above the median for full-time workers. As of January 2024, a newly qualified teacher earns £38,655, rising to £48,516—compared to the national full-time salary median of £33,332. Not bad on paper. However, in fields like finance, law, and engineering—where men remain the dominant force—salaries climb much higher.
Women make up 50% of solicitors in the UK but hold far fewer senior roles. In finance, only 17% of FCA-approved roles are held by women. In engineering, female representation hovers around 12%. Is there an inverse relationship between female representation and financial reward? This isn’t an argument we’d ever win, but it’s a question worth pondering.
Feminisation and the Classroom
In Scotland, the term “feminisation of education” typically refers to the increasing influence and presence of women across the profession. Girls continue to outperform boys academically—77.7% A-C pass rate in recent Higher exams compared to 71.5% for boys. But when it comes to STEM subjects, girls remain underrepresented.
Some argue that boys are being left behind by a system that unintentionally favours traits more commonly associated with girls: attentiveness, compliance, and verbal communication. Boys, who may lean towards kinetic or hands-on learning styles, often find themselves disengaged and misunderstood.
This is not just theory. Research shows that primary-aged boys are three times more likely to have significant social, emotional, or mental health needs. They're more likely to be disciplined and less likely to receive emotional support. Are we seeing this in our own schools and centres? Has an unintended vicious circle developed?
Where Are the Male Teachers?
Fewer men are entering the profession—and it’s not hard to see why. Teaching, particularly in the early years, is often viewed as “women’s work.” There’s still a deeply ingrained suspicion when men express interest in working with children, particularly in early education.
Scotland has recognised the issue. Initiatives like the Improving Gender Balance and Equalities (IGBE) programme aim to address these disparities by encouraging broader participation across genders, especially in leadership roles and non-traditional subjects.
What About the Women Themselves?
While women dominate the profession, they are also leaving it at higher rates than men. Data from England and South Australia show female teacher resignations rising more steeply than male. The reasons? They’re varied—and they’re valid.
Workplace Stress and Burnout: Long hours, heavy emotional labour, and limited work-life balance take their toll, particularly on women who juggle caregiving responsibilities at home.
Gendered Expectations: Women are often expected to take on not just professional tasks, but the emotional labour of caring—for students, for colleagues, for everyone.
Impact of COVID-19: The pandemic exposed just how heavy the load is. Many women, especially mothers, were forced to step back to manage home learning and caregiving.
Discrimination and Harassment: Microaggressions, unequal decision-making roles, and even harassment are still part of the narrative.
Lack of Flexibility: Teaching doesn't always allow for flexible hours or the work-from-home arrangements other sectors can offer.
A Need for Professional Nourishment
Those of you in early years and ASN will know the "Five to Thrive" framework—focused on nourishment and emotional wellbeing. We need our own version of that for professional survival.
Here’s what our Five to Thrive as women in education could look like:
1. Play
Avoid the leadership disease of “excessive busyness.” Find joy, humour, and space to breathe. Golf, soggy balls, football with your kids, hyacinths on your windowsill—whatever helps you recharge.
2. Perspective
Stay resilient. Be honest with yourself and maintain a sense of humour. Avoid rigidity, overplanning, and negativity. As Brene Brown says, “What makes us vulnerable makes us beautiful.”
3. Communicate
Avoid cliques, apathy, and rivalry. Talk to your teams and build inclusive cultures. Leaders don’t lead by position; they lead by trust and inspiration.
4. Refresh
Give yourself time to reflect. Engage in professional learning. Set up triads with critical friends. Cultivate intellectual curiosity and stay connected to your purpose.
5. Balance
Accept your leadership role, but don’t wear the crown too tightly. Know when to lead, when to listen, and when to rest. Pride can tip into complacency—confidence must be matched with humility.
Conclusion
We’ve come a long way, but there’s still a distance to travel. Women in education are not just supporting characters—we’re central to the story. And if Cinderella taught us anything, it’s that with the right support, recognition, and a little resilience, we will make it to the ball.
But let’s not forget—Cinderella also needed to leave before midnight. We don’t want to run out of time before real change arrives.