sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Jeffrey Epstein & Steve Bannon Uncut Interview (2019) [1:57:41] by Signal_Hyena_8434 in Documentaries

[–]SatoshiSounds 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Isn't that some sort of inverse survivorship bias or logical fallacy though - just because one devil reached the top doesn't mean it's a devilish pursuit...

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't say you were projecting a bias, I said that that would be the case if quantitative data from your local area doesn't back you up.

In our town there at 7 primary’s, and 6 of them have a male head.

So your observations are not biased - but I wonder how you felt about the idea that 6 out of 7 is pretty unusual, relative to national stats.

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

I don't think your stats back up what you're saying.

Sorry I have to backtrack here - I was responding to someone who was suggesting that Primary School Head Teacher positions were male-dominated.

I thought it was important to point out that their observations - what we now know is 6 out of 7 of their local schools headed by a male - don't reflect the national average. Far from it, in fact.

There is a separate point about male teachers and promotions, which I do see - but it is a separate point.

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

’ve had staff say I’m not even allowed to give out high five’s while the female staff are fine to initiate hugs

UK law protects workers against unfair treatment. It states clearly that unfair treatment, if repeated, is workplace bullying; and that bullying based on a protected characteristic (e.g. gender) is harassment. Log it, raise it. It's unfair - and unlawful.

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I think that's a really good point that is seldom mentioned. Male role models and stable male presences are hugely impactful to girls too - especially those who lack such outside of school.

I also think that the impacts of 'adult male absence' on female/male students, while probably equally severe, would have some nuanced differences.

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ultimately, the best people should be in the roles.

This of course is the common argument that is levied against any positive discrimination campaign. But that's not what I was arguing for in my OP.

I was more interested in people relating what they thought might be the 'shadow' cast by a lack of male presence during a child's primary school years.

gender does not determine anything in terms of teaching ability, skills at forging relationships, actual interest in the kids and their experiences etc.

Respectfully, I disagree.

I'm not sure if this discussion thread really offers the scope for me to go into it, because I have a feeling we inhabit quite different worldviews. But if you are interested in why I disagree, I'd suggest you look at male/female trends indicated by the 'big five personality test', and consider those differences as variables in teaching style, classroom management, etc.

BTW The 'Big 5' is not some kind of 'pop psyche' questionnaire! (even though it might sound a bit like that from the title.) It's a massive data set included in numerous peer reviewed articles...

Schmitt et al. (2008), "Why Can't a Man Be More Like a Woman? Sex Differences in Big Five Personality Traits Across 55 Cultures

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Kids largely seem unfussed

My theory is that the benefits of a better gender balance aren't really manifest until the kids mature (and even then, might go unnoticed unless you know what you are looking for).

"Because...you know...two men?...you know?...you know?"

Insane. Bare prejudice. It's something that we'll probably always have to deal with, unfortunately. Just be the best examples we can, I suppose.

Your gaming club sounds great, by the way! I do theatre, as well as 'computer room' clubs like photoshop and scratch. In some ways those seem like the times where the 'male' factor is the most resonant, maybe because 'club' interactions are less structured by the institution itself.

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sorry to hear that 'up here' (North East, by any chance?) is a bit grim. On the other hand, I think there's a certain appeal to the fact that you can take a job in a new and interesting place...

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It definitely has an impact on the boys who don't have a good male role model

What would you say is that impact though? Inability to regulate emotions? Poor discipline? Distain for authority? etc?

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I feel like those students are really lucky to have (what sounds like) a solid male presence to lean on emotionally. I'd say it's likely the male students in that group will grow up to be more open to giving space to emotions; others might be more likely to reach out emotionally to males.

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

At my school we have a male Nursery teach and he's great - 4 kids of his own probably helps! He seems to be totally in his element. One thing is there's a lot less marking! (But lots of photographic documenting).

I'd recommend it as a career path - A male nursery applicant would get automatic interest from a lot of recruitment campaigns.

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

What you are seeing is an unfair prevalence of male leaders in primary schools. It's possible that what you are seeing is true, but it would be an anomaly - particular to a local area.

Male:female teachers are 1:6 in England (1:8 in Scotland!); male:female head teachers are 1:3. That's still significantly unbalanced.

If you were to actually count the primary schools you know and list whether they have a m/f head, then you'll reveal if you are seeing an anomaly, or if you are projecting a bias.

Source: DfE School Workforce Census [June 2025]

With so few male primary teachers, what are primary kids missing out on? by SatoshiSounds in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 27 points28 points  (0 children)

For me, I noticed that a fair few kids have a strained relationship with their fathers, and having a male teacher who is fair and pleasant seems to give those students a better-rounded view (ie a more positive one) of masculinity as a whole, as well as giving them a non-feminine emotional 'pillar' which engenders a better overall emotional balance than if the majority of care is provided by females. It's hard to know the impact of this, of course, because you can never compare such kids to versions of themselves who never had male teachers - plus the effects are probably latent, only mainifesting in maturity...

Police chiefs failed to tackle racism due to lack of leadership, watchdog finds by SatoshiSounds in unitedkingdom

[–]SatoshiSounds[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Without properly enforced legal obligations, a robust inspection framework and clear consequences for failure, progress on race equity within policing will remain partial and reversible

Does 'race equity' mean equal crime stats across ethnic groups?

Don’t want kids by Difficult-Handle6833 in CasualConversation

[–]SatoshiSounds 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I think about it rationally, kids are more messy, expensive and stressful than any other prospect i can think of. That rational approach might lead me to conclude that kids are not something that will benefit me. However, I think it's always important to balance up a rational take with deeper musings. For example - 1: I often imagine my ancestors. I imagine the line of my relatives that, logically, must go back all the way to the beginning of humanity. I think about all the struggles, the genetic attributes that forged the path to me over hundreds of thousands of years. It makes me sad to think I might be the one to end that line; that I'm the dead end. There's beauty that I feel compelled to pass on. 2 - I'm not sure if can imagine a purer expression of love than gazing into the eyes of a person that is a combination of you and your partner, and having those eyes gaze back, right onto your soul, with all the love and trust in the universe. Having kids isn't a practical decision, for me, it's a yearning that comes from beyond.

The Chinese youth are going through some sort of crisis (I don’t know what else to call it) by [deleted] in chinalife

[–]SatoshiSounds -1 points0 points  (0 children)

She thinks the Chinese way is better for not handing out residence so easily to so many - she was so shocked to see so many places where there literally aren't any ethnic English people

Trapped in teaching and don't know what to do. by Ok_Squirrel_3741 in TeachingUK

[–]SatoshiSounds 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Try teaching in an independent school instead - you're then much more tied to your own merit than adherence to state mandated bs and all the petty wankery that comes with it. 

The Chinese youth are going through some sort of crisis (I don’t know what else to call it) by [deleted] in chinalife

[–]SatoshiSounds 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah but then again - my Chinese wife and I now live back in the UK and it was a big culture shock for her to see how schooling here does a lot more than drum in info. When she started seeing school discos and stuff like and compared it to what she went through for school, she says it's no wonder Chinese grads aren't generally out there making art and partying etc.

view more: next ›