The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Noreen O’Haire

This article is reprinted with permission from PD Perspectives 4, no. 4 (Fall 2004), published by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF). Minor changes have been made to spelling and punctuation to fit ATA style.

In November 2003, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) conducted a survey of member organizations to examine the gender composition of the teaching population and of the leadership positions in schools and teacher organizations. (CTF member organizations are identified by their acronyms. A list of organizations featured here appears at the end of this article.)

According to 2002–03 data collected from the survey, 72 per cent of the membership of the teacher organizations in Canada are women and 28 per cent are men. As shown in Chart 1, gender distributions range from 80 per cent women and 20 per cent men in the ETFO to 62 per cent women and 38 per cent men in the Newfoundland Labrador Teachers’ Association (NFLTA). It is important to note that in Ontario, British Columbia and Québec (QPAT), principals and vice-principals are not included in the membership.

Chart 1. Gender Distribution of Membership in CTF Member Organizations, 2002–03

“Elementary and secondary teachers are mostly women. In 1999/00, women accounted for 65 per cent ^[2] of full-time teachers at those levels, compared with 59 per cent a decade earlier. The percentage of women was also higher among younger educators—78 per cent of those aged 20 to 29. By contrast, almost three out of four faculty members at universities were men. “Teachers as a group are older than the overall work force. In 1999, 32 per cent of elementary and secondary school teachers and 39 per cent of full-time college and university educators were aged 50 to 59, compared with only 21 per cent of the overall labour force.

“In 1999/00, 34 per cent of teachers were aged 50 or over, compared with 16 per cent a decade earlier. At the post-secondary level, only 19 per cent of full-time college teachers and 17 per cent of full-time university educators were under 40.”

Table 1 shows the breakdown of principals and vice-principals by gender in 2002–03. Nationally, 44 per cent of principals (excluding Ontario) and 45 per cent of vice-principals (excluding Ontario and Québec) are women. The average for principals includes data from the Québec government website showing that, in 2001–2002, 48 per cent of the principals were women. As shown in Chart 2, the percentage of women holding principal positions varies across the country, ranging from 51 per cent as reported by NBTA to 28 per cent as reported by FNT.

Chart 2. Percentage of School Principal Positions Held by Women, 2002-03, Based on CTF Member Organization Data**

[1] Statistics Canada data from the Centre for Education Statistics shows that 67 per cent of full-time public elementary-secondary teachers in 1999–00 were women while the female share for full-time educators was 65 per cent.

As shown in Chart 3, the share of vice-principal positions held by women in 2002–03 ranged from 55 per cent in the NBTA and the AEFNB to 38 per cent in YTA.

Chart 3. Percentage of School Vice-Principal Positions Held by Women, 2002–03, Based on CTF Member Organization Data

If one combines elementary-secondary principals and vice-principals, women comprise 48 per cent of the group in Canada (excluding Québec) in 2002–03. This average includes 2000–01 data from the Ontario government website, showing that women make up 55 per cent of the total elementary-secondary principals and vice-principals; broken down into shares of 58 per cent at the elementary level and 44 per cent at the secondary level. As shown in Chart 4, the share of women holding principal and vice-principal positions ranged from 55 per cent in Ontario to 31 per cent in Nunavut as reported by FNT.

Chart 4. Percentage of Total School Principal and Vice-Principal Positions Held by Women, 2002–03, Based on CTF Member Organization Data**

**Note: Ontario data refers to 2000–02 figures released by the Ontario government based on full-time equivalence (FTE).

According to Statistics Canada data for 1999–00, 42 per cent of full-time public elementary-secondary school principals and 47 per cent of vice-principals are women. There are significant differences between elementary and secondary schools. In elementary schools, women hold 45 per cent of principal and 54 per cent of vice-principal positions, while at the secondary level the percentages drop to 27 per cent of principals and 35 per cent of vice-principals.

The survey also examined the gender distribution in leadership positions within teacher organizations to determine how representative the split was in relation to a teaching profession that is predominately female. According to our survey, 72 per cent of the members in CTF member organizations in 2002–03 were female, while Statistics Canada data shows that 67 per cent of full-time public elementary-secondary school teachers in 1999–00 were female.

In terms of executive staff, we sampled three decades: 2002–03, 1992-93 and 1982–83 as illustrated in Table 2 and Chart 5. Nationally, women represented 52 per cent of the reported executive staff in 2002–03, as compared to 1982–83, when women represented only 24 per cent of the executive staff.

Chart 5. Gender Distribution in CTF Member Organizations, Selected Positions and Committees, Selected Years

Note: Data based on total available data provided by CTF member organizations. Members excluded vary by statistic. CTF staff is excluded from the averages reported in the chart.
¹ Refers to 2002–03
² Refers to 2003–04
³ Since 1982

Despite this positive trend, when you examine the top leadership positions (general secretary and associate or deputy general secretary) in teacher organizations, a different picture emerges as illustrated in Table 3. Of the 50 general secretaries reported since 1982, only four have been female and of the 31 deputy general secretaries only four have been female. The numbers speak for themselves.

The survey also looked at the gender composition of the elected leadership of teacher organizations in Canada. Of the 168 presidents elected since 1982, 56, or one-third, have been women and 112, or two-thirds, have been men. Table 4 shows (province by province) that there is a wide range in the ratio of men to women among presidents. In the NFLTA, 91 per cent of presidents since 1982 have been men compared to 50 per cent in MTS and FNT, while 100 per cent in ETFO were women.

Of the 207 reported vice-presidents since 1982, 74, or 36 per cent, have been women and men have held 133, or 64 per cent, of the positions.

In provinces the situation may change drastically election by election. In BCTF’s election in 2004 (after our data collection date) for the first time in the 88-year history of the BCTF all three of the elected officers are women.

Table 4 also shows the gender composition of member organization executive committees in 2002–2003. Nationally, 57 per cent of executive committee members were men and 43 per cent were women. As in the case of the presidents, this ratio varies from organization to organization and from year to year. In MTS, men made up 85 per cent of the executive committee, while in OTF, OECTA and QPAT men comprised 50 per cent of the committee. In comparison, the percentage of men on the executive committee of the ETFO was 21 per cent.

The data on 2003–04 membership in standing committees in Table 5 shows some interesting patterns. The member organizations who reported have a total of 146 committees (excluding QPAT and FNT) and a total membership of 1,146 teachers (excluding FNT). Nationally, the standing committees’ composition is 55 per cent female participation and 45 per cent male. Female participation in standing committees is as high as 86 per cent in YTA, 73 per cent in ETFO and 63 per cent in BCTF and PEITF. Women make up a higher percentage than men of the total membership in standing committees in the majority of member organizations.

For the most part, committees such as finance, collective bargaining, insurance and pension have more men than women while committees such as professional development, curriculum development, equity and communication have the opposite composition.

A comparison of the chairs of bargaining and professional development committees at the local or branch level shows that in 2002–03, 37 per cent of bargaining committees among reporting member organizations were chaired by females compared to 77 per cent for professional development committees (see Chart 5).

An examination of the school representative data (only a few of the member organizations were able to provide this information) shows that 67 per cent are female and 33 per cent male.

Of the members who responded to the survey for the 2002–03 year, the delegates to annual general meetings of teacher organizations in 2002–03 numbered 3,056. Table 5 shows the provincial breakdown by gender. Nationally, 52 per cent of the participants were women and 48 per cent were men.

Based on member organizations who reported data on local or branch presidents, 45 per cent of a total of 508 local presidents in 2002–03 were female and 55 per cent were male (see Table 6).

Thank you to the staff in member organizations who completed the survey and a special thanks to Rick Riel in CTF Economic Services, who helped to crunch the numbers. It is an initial attempt to collect some baseline data and as is illustrated by the tables, it is a work in progress. We would appreciate any additional data to fill in some of the gaps.

Table 1. Gender Composition of School-Based Administration, 2002–03*

Note: Total based on available data.
N/A Not Available
* Based on 2002–03 data submitted by member organizations, except for the following:
** Québec data refers to 2001–02 provincial data (not just QPAT) released by the Québec government.
*** Ontario data refers to 2000–01 figures released by the Ontario government based on full-time equivalent (FTE) data.
Source: CTF member organizations and Ontario and Québec government data

Table 2. Gender Composition of Executive Staff of CTF Member Organizations, Selected Years

Note: Total based on available data and excludes CTF. (2002–03, 60 per cent of the 15 executive staff at the CTF was female.)
N/A Not Available
-: Not applicable
Source: CTF member organizations

Table 3. Gender Composition of Top Leadership Positions in Member Organizations (since 1982)

Note: Total based on available data and excludes CTF.
(For CTF, all three general secretaries since 1982 were male and one deputy general secretary was male.)
N/A Not Available
-: Not applicable
Source: CTF member organizations

Table 4. Gender Composition of Elected Officials in Member Organizations

Note: Total based on available data.
N/A Not Available
-: Not applicable
Source: CTF member organizations

Table 5. Gender Composition of Governance and Committees in Member Organizations

Note: Total based on available data.
N/A Not Available
Source: CTF member organizations

Table 6. Gender Composition of Local Leadership within Member Organizations (2002–03)

Note: Total based on available data.
N/A Not Available
-: Not applicable
Source: CTF member organizations

Provincial teachers' organizations featured in this article:

[1] Statistics Canada website, under section “Canada e-Book”/“The People”/”Education”/”Teachers”/, published May 26, 2003 and modified September 1, 2004.

[2] Statistics Canada data from the Centre for Education Statistics shows that 67 per cent of full-time public elementary secondary teachers in 1990-00 were women while the female share for full-time educators was 65 percent.

Noreen O’Haire is the director of Professional and Development Services, Canadian Teachers’ Federation, and editor of PD Perspectives.