I had been to a science fair recently at my son's preschool. Yes, they have science fairs for 4-5 year old's these days with exhibits/charts and the tots also explain concepts like rain-water harvesting or the water movement in plants with elan.
A group of parents got around discussing the dedication of teachers that was apparent and their commitment in educating our little ones. And we observed how there were no male teachers except for the Physical Fitness Trainer. A small impromptu questioning also made us realize that this was true to smaller niche playschools and day care centers. Am not sure if this stands true in a wider cross-section of the Indian society but I am also unable to recollect seeing any male teacher in any of the preschool chains I visited.
Interestingly there were a set of parents who expressed that it would not be possible for men to display this level of patience in managing preschoolers, while yet some parents outright said they would not be comfortable with a male teacher for their toddlers. Few also opined on how a male teacher in a preschool will be a risk or a big liability to the management.
Has the present climate of harassment's, sexual incidents, and rape cases created more distrust among the two genders and creating a wider gulf? Why are there so few men who come out to teach pre-schoolers, while there are many math & science teachers and lecturers for higher classes?
Has it been accepted as a fact that teaching young ones has to be the prerogative of a woman alone? Or could it simply be a case of such professional roles not being lucrative enough monetarily for a primary (needless to add male) wage earner?
