«female» Profession of Preschool Teacher: Experience, Trends and Perspectives

The article characterizes the experience of professional education of preschool teachers, in particular, in the western Ukrainian lands, which took place in the context of the pan-European cultural and educational process of the 19th century and the gradual establishment of the female nature of the teaching profession. A retrospective analysis of the development of the first pedagogical institutions for the training of supervisory personnel by C. Mayo (England), T. Friedner (Germany), and L. Festetich (Austria), which appeared in 1836-1837, testified that at that time there was no unified view on the gendered nature of the new profession. Women were admitted to some institutions, and men to others. The specific role of F. Froebel in establishing the opinion that women should be concerned about raising children not only in families but also in public institutions and outside them is noted. It has been found that the year 1869 when the fundamental educational law on public schools was adopted can be considered the official recognition of Froebel’s pedagogical theory and practice in the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary, to which Galicia and Bukovina belonged. According to it, children’s preschool institutions became the primary link of the public education system, and based on the newly created female teacher’s seminaries, it was supposed to start the professional training of preschool teachers. On the other hand, in the Hungarian part of Austria-Hungary, including Transcarpathia, until 1912, male teachers continued to be educated as well. Attention is drawn to the fact that at the turn of the 20th-21st century issues of gender equality among preschool teachers have become the subjects of scientific and social research, as well as relevant government programs and management decisions. In 1996, a recommendation was approved in European countries to increase the number of men among the teaching staff of preschool education to 20%. To this day, this level remains unattainable. In Norway, this figure is currently 9% and is considered the highest among European countries. Significant changes have been made in Denmark and Germany. On the other hand, in Ukraine, the share of male teachers reached 1.7%, which requires more attention to this issue from state bodies, scientific institutions, and public organizations.