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When female leaders outnumber men : The decline of male school principals in Australia
McGrath, Kevin F.
McGrath, Kevin F.
Author
Abstract
While the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions has been an important marker of gender inequality internationally, organisations may be unprepared for the possibility that such representation may be reversed. Focusing specifically on the education labour market in New South Wales, Australia, in this paper I examine the gender composition of school leadership positions over time. Drawing on workplace data from Government schools, I find that the representation of female primary school principals has increased from 33.8% in 1998 to 66.4% in 2018. Female secondary school principals have similarly increased from 22.0% in 1998 to 48.4% in 2018. Although an overall decline of male teachers has been observed in this context, and despite advantageous promotion rates for male staff, the data indicate that declining male participation is sharper in leadership positions than in classroom teaching positions. These findings raise important questions about organisational responses to shifting markers of gender inequality.
Keywords
female principals, male teachers, gender equality, workforce diversity, school leaders
Date
2020
Type
Journal article
Journal
Journal of Gender Studies
Book
Volume
29
Issue
5
Page Range
604-612
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Education
Faculty of Education and Arts
Faculty of Education and Arts
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Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
All rights reserved
File Access
Controlled