I’ve never met a male nursery worker – and chances are, you haven’t either. Figures show just 3% of staff working in early years education in England and Wales are male. In Scotland this rises ever so slightly to 4%.

And it’s a global trend.

This week, at the Festival of Education, held at Wellington College in Berkshire, Robin Macpherson will open up conversation around how boys are put off careers in health and early years education because of gender stereotyping – and why this must change.

The headteacher of Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen believes promoting careers that bring greater balance to the workforce will help shift the narrative on modern masculinity, as well as boy’s and men’s mental health.

“There is a natural suspicion about men that want to work with young children, hence the incredibly low representation of male practitioners in early years and primary schools and in areas of the healthcare system,” he said.

“This is a really deep-seated societal problem which means it’s going to need significant and long-term interventions.”

What’s the answer?

Macpherson believes promoting HEAL (health, education, administration and literacy) careers for boys could bring meaningful change in the same way promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers did for girls. The number of women in STEM occupations has doubled in........

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