Why Male Control is Increasing

In Australia, women are 60 percent of all teachers, but that is an average figure and disguises the fact that they are 85 percent of primary teachers in some States, and less than half of secondary teachers in others.
In the past, this profession attracted a disproportionate number of well-educated women when other professions such as medicine and the law were largely not open to them. It would still be true that a competent young male with the wide selection of matriculation studies chosen by males, has a much more diverse range of professions from which to choose (of which teaching is only one and not the most remunerative by any means) whereas young women of equal competence, often as a consequence of school policies and self selection of studies, must choose from a narrower range of professions, in which teaching bulks larger. Even with restricted training places available, a greater proportion of young women than men are entering teaching and often with higher matriculation entry scores.