is awkwardness the reason for a lack of male teachers at primary level?

[R T Fischall]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14748273

now then bunnies, one puts it down to the bad social and media influence esp when it comes to finding sex predators in schools, and this in itself is one possible reason males don't want to teach little ones. Comments other suggestions on this amber moon dusk.

[Stephen Returns]

No; I put it down to a lack of interest from males. I reckon most men still consider it a female job.

[Madbirthday886]

No.

It has traditionally been the case that more women teach younger children.

[Robert Justice.]

It must be a nightmare if someone gets the wrong idea if you put your hand on their shoulder,and thats only the women teachers.

[Trevor Spriggs]

I think that the CRB check will eliminate most of the predators, but could it be that they have enough experience of ill mannered children from their own and adjacent homes that they don't want to put up with anymore of it during the day.
Also I remember frequent occurrences of classroom puddles while at the 4 to 5 year old stage, it may be appropriate for a female to care for a distraught boy or girl, even getting them into dry clothes, But I'm sure that their would be an absolute bar on male teachers helping a girl. I wouldn't want my niece to be assisted in that way by a male teacher, but I would not worry if any teacher dealt with my nephew.
I can also remember cases of girls finding that they had matured during class room lessons at 11 years old.
I may be narrow minded but I don't think male teachers are appropriate at primary level, my primary school had all female teachers, a male caretaker with his wife, and no other staff.

[muffinisis]

well i do not remember having male teachers at junior school, so i am not sure i agree with the media thing, i think most blokes prefer to teach older children and only in certain subjects, we had an excellent male maths teacher, and science teacher, and physics teacher what more can i say.