A group of Labour MPs has urged the government to increase the number of male teachers in England and improve paternity leave, arguing that both measures could help support families and provide positive role models for young boys.
The call comes as lawmakers seek to influence government policy amid growing political uncertainty within the Labour Party. Members of the Labour Men and Boys group believe these issues deserve greater attention and should be part of the government’s long-term agenda.
Ali Strathern, Labour MP for Hitchin and co-chair of the group, said public concerns extend beyond political drama and leadership debates. According to him, many families are more focused on everyday issues such as the cost of living, spending time with loved ones, and raising children.
Strathern said the UK’s current paternity leave policy, which offers most fathers just two weeks off after the birth of a child, is among the least generous in developed countries. More than 50 Labour MPs, including senior figures such as Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting, have backed calls for longer paternity leave.
He also welcomed the government’s commitment to recruit 6,500 additional teachers by the end of the current parliament but argued that more should be done to attract men into the profession. He suggested launching national campaigns similar to those used to encourage women and girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Labour MP Peter Swallow, a former teacher, said increasing the number of male teachers could help address what he described as a growing “crisis of masculinity” among some young boys. He warned that boys who feel isolated or unsupported are increasingly being influenced by online personalities promoting harmful ideas about manhood.
According to Department for Education figures, men make up only 24% of teachers in England. The numbers are even lower in primary schools, where just 14% of teachers are male. In secondary schools, men account for 35% of teachers, while only 3% of early-years educators are male.
Supporters of the proposals believe that having more male teachers in classrooms and giving fathers more time with their newborn children would strengthen families and provide children with better support during crucial stages of development.
With political discussions intensifying within Labour, many MPs hope these ideas will remain high on the government’s agenda in the months ahead.
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