This item first appeared on the F.A.C.T. website on 14th February 2005
There was a very interesting article in the Guardian on 9th February 2005 concerning teachers attitudes towards touching children and the negative impact this has on the child's development. Since then a London F.A.C.T. member has written to the Editor of the Guardian with this response.
Sir
Josie Appleton’s thought provoking feature on the growing panic among childcare professionals about touching young children in their care (Losing Touch G2, Feb 9) highlights the way that the current child protection system in this country is not only working against the very section of society it is trying to protect but is also emotionally abusing children.
The recent drive by the Teachers Training Agency to recruit male primary school teachers has failed and now only one trainee primary school teacher in eight is male. In Australia and New Zealand, the numbers of male teachers entering junior school and nurseries are negligible in many areas with the major deterrent identified as the fear of allegations of abuse. The loser in all this is the child as studies by the New Zealand Early Childhood Research Network have shown that the moral panic about child abuse, that has seen teachers becoming increasingly guarded about touching children, is contributing to sterile and uncaring teaching environments.
Life is about balance, no more so than in the development of our young children and an increasing number are in single parent families where the only male role models are the teachers. Rather than allow the profession to continue its movement towards becoming women-only it needs to address these issues and discuss them openly.
Trevor
London F.A.C.T. member
Thankyou Trevor for bringing this to our notice.