Luke promotes male day-care

Date published: 13/01/2009

Castleton teen Luke Dinsdale is battling backward attitudes and realising his dream of becoming one of Britain’s only male child carers.

A recent report revealed that there were no young men at all working in state nurseries in the UK. But with the backing of bosses at his work placement at the Milnrow Pre-School Playgroup, Luke is determined to buck the trend and give children the benefit of his caring nature.

“Luke is fantastic, he mucks in and I can’t fault him,” said Jean Ward, Play Leader at the Milnrow Pre-School Playgroup on Charles Lane. “The boys in particular have really taken to him and given that some of the kids don’t have a dad, he’s been a really positive male role model.”

Motor-cross mad Luke was given a kick-start in his career by Rochdale based training charity, Rathbone. The St James’ Place organisation had no hesitation in placing Luke at the Milnrow Pre-School and has nurtured his career by teaching him key skills such as First Aid and Health and Safety at their Centre one day per week.

“Some people need to overcome their suspicion and prejudices and allow men to play a greater role in Childcare,” said Fahima Khan, Luke’s Tutor at Rathbone. “He has a natural rapport with the children and will hopefully be an inspiration to others to take up the profession. After all, if women can build a career on a building site – why can’t men work in nursery schools?”

Luke has just begun an Apprenticeship in Childcare and achieving a qualification such as this, could lead him on to jobs in teaching or social work. For now though, he is happy studying at Rathbone and working in the nursery at Milnrow – even if he is the only man there!

“It’s fun working with the staff and the kids,” said Luke, who helps supervise more than 60 toddlers and young children at the not-for-profit pre-school. “And it’s helping me to gain the skills I need to one day manage my own nursery.

"I don’t remember many male teachers at my primary school and none of my mates are involved in Childcare. Maybe I can change that and convince others it’s a job worth doing.”