Re: Diversity for Diversity's sake?
@Kieran
Perhaps we can look at reasons why male teachers are under-represented in UK primary schools, and that trend is starting to play out in secondary schools too.
No-one seems to want to talk about why (or concede if it's actually a problem or not) but I have a sneaking suspicion that the decline in male teachers is largely down to claims of abuse.
One child (or parent of child) claiming a teacher abused their child (in any way) is typically enough to end a career, whether it is true or not. Why would men enter a profession that can potentially be ended as a result of a parent taking exception to their child being told off for bullying (for example) and reporting the teacher for abuse.
The reason this situation has arisen is because men are perceived to be abusers, and mud sticks.
If this hypothesis is correct, then it because they are male that men are no longer deciding to become teachers - which, if my logic isn't totally wacked, is based on them being men. i.e. their decision not to enter a particular profession is based on their gender (and the perception of that gender).
Is the answer to this problem to discriminate against female teachers in order to promote more men in the profession? This seems to me the very thing that the 'outraged of Tunbridge Wells' deem appropriate, and the very thing this chap is speaking out against (i.e. forced discrimination based on group in order to address perceived inequality of representation of gender in a particular profession), yet by it's very definition is discrimination - which is against the law.
This is why I believe he was sacked - because he inadvertently pointed out that Google's hiring policy is actually illegal, whilst trying to present itself as anything but. He was sacked for naivety.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
