Introduction
There has been a significant rise in female teachers in primary
and secondary schools in Korea. In 2001, female teachers accounted
for 68 percent in primary schools, 59 percent in secondary schools,
and 35 percent in high schools. However, in 2011, those figures
shot up to 75.8 percent, 66.8 percent, and 46.2 percent, respectively.
In today’s debate, Henry and Ashley will discuss whether the increasing
gender imbalance of teachers in primary and secondary schools affects
students’ academic performance.
Henry
(Constructive)
Teacher gender imbalance affects students’ academic performance.
Schools should have a balance between male and female teachers in
order to best support their students. Teachers should not only educate
their students, but also be mentors to their students. This is important
for students’ academic performance. Sometimes male students seek
male mentors who can help them through the challenges of growing
up. It may be difficult for male students to find male mentors if
the majority of their teachers are female.
Ashley
(Constructive)
Teacher gender imbalance does not affect students’ academic performance.
A student’s academic performance is not affected by the gender of
the teacher. It is affected by the quality of the teacher’s teaching
abilities. Women graduates from colleges of education score higher
on their college exit exams, and thus more of them are appointed
to teaching positions. This proves that female teachers are more
qualified than male teachers. I think there should be even more
female teachers in schools.
Henry
(Rebuttal)
More women teachers score higher on the college exams. However,
I do not think that a teacher’s score on his or her college exit
exam is the only indicator of his or her teaching ability. Good
teachers also know how to emotionally support their students, control
disciplinary issues, and effectively manage a classroom. A gender
balance of teachers in schools would ensure that male and female
teachers work together to best support their students. Sometimes
male teachers are better at controlling disciplinary issues.
Ashley
(Rebuttal)
It is important for teachers to be mentors to their students because
effective mentorship can help improve students’ academic performance.
However, I do not think that students necessarily need mentors of
their own gender. I believe that women teachers are often better
mentors because they are generally more sensitive and understanding.
Schools should hire teachers that are best qualified for the job
regardless of their gender. There is a teacher gender imbalance
because women teachers are increasingly more qualified.
Judge’s
Comments
The winner of today’s debate is Henry. Ashley committed the logical
fallacy called false cause. A debater commits this fallacy when
he or she argues that one thing causes another without significant
evidence. Ashley stated that women teachers scored higher on their
college exams, which means that women teachers are more qualified.
However, Henry’s rebuttal was that a teacher’s score on the exam
is not the only indicator of his or her teacher ability. Ashley
did not convince me that higher scores on the college exams led
to more qualified teachers.