A
Norwegian Perspective (Erik Hauglund)
(based
on presentation given at Men and Childcare Scotland Fringe event during
the ENSAC Conference (1998)
Erik
Hauglund is an adviser in The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Children and
Family Affairs, Department of Family Policy and childcare, Oslo. Child
care is on both local and central government agendas in Norway, with the
aim of all families having the required care for their children (aged
1 - 10 years) by 2001.
One
concern for the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs is the possible
long term effect on children in relation to gender equality, growing up
in public institutions where the staff are predominantly female, therefore
the Ministry has adopted a plan for developing a mixed workforce with
a target for 20% of staff working in childcare to be men by 2001.
They
are working on several strategies to achieve this aim:
- survey
asking all male students in pre-school education (N = 1000) and a similar
number of female students why they chose pre-school education as a workplace,
and what their expectations are ;
- attempting
to 'sell' child care as an interesting and exciting place for men to
work using young male pre-school teachers in each of the 19 counties.
These teachers are working in co-operation with county personnel, with
the remit of going into schools, military camps etc, to answer questions
about culture, salary etc in childcare and asking them to think about
childcare as a possible career option. (A video has also been produced;
'Childcare, an interesting place to be - for men too')
- distribution
of information, and holding seminars and conferences to raise awareness:
the Norwegian Government, supported directly by the Prime Minister,
planned a conference in 1998 where leaders from the church and defence
forces would consider the challenge to say what they can do in relation
to the role of men in these sectors. A similar conference will be held
in 1999, challenging the care sector (midwives, nurses, pre-school and
school age childcare) to consider what they can do to recruit more men,
how to keep them, and what might be done when men are absent from these
settings. The Ministry also planned to send every childcare institution
a pamphlet in 1998 to challenge them to discuss issues relating to men's
role in childcare.
- parental
leave; 80% of men in Norway do take parental leave. In the long term,
it is hoped that this will work towards changing the male role in relation
to childcare.
Percentage
of Male Childcare Staff in Norway – 1991-1997
| |
1991
|
1993
|
1995
|
1997
|
| Educationalists
in charge (pedagogues – leaders of departments and directors
in childcare centres) |
|
|
|
|
| Assistants
(not trained as pedagogues) |
|
|
|
|
| Others
(some are specially trained pedagogues. Many are caretakers, some
are extra help) |
|
|
|
|
In
1993, 5.8% of all staff were male; in 1995 6.7%, and in 1997 – 7.4% Male
students (3 year courses) in 1998: 14% GOAL: in 2001 – 20% of staff to
be men.
|
|
