The recession and current economic climate could act as a catalyst for more men to take up teaching jobs.

Gary Brace, chief executive of the General Teaching Council for Wales (GTWC), suggests that there are a proportion of men who have been made redundant from high pressure jobs are now looking for an alternative career.

"[The] evidence is that there are more male applicants for teacher training courses than before," he confirms.

"We will have to wait and see if this results in a greater proportion of males securing places on the courses and subsequently going on to teach."

Mr Brace was speaking in response to GTWC figures which found there to be an ever-widening gap in the number of male and female teachers in the country.

Indeed, the statistics show that there are now three times as many women as there are men registered to teach in Wales.

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