Opposition ministers demanded to know why Government was not recruiting more male teachers during a House of Assembly debate on education. said just 18 percent of those teaching in the public school system were men and that that figure was largely unchanged since 2003.

He said the UBP had raised the issue in the House before. ?Our sense was there was some type of strategy being put in place with a view to recruiting males,? he said.

?We are wondering why it is that you didn?t recruit any more male teachers. The numbers have stayed very flat. We really think it?s very, very important to give that balance.

?That?s not a negative statement on any of our female teachers.?said the Government needed to be much more aggressive in its bid to get men to join the profession.

He said it needed to introduce a ?21st century package? to encourage men to become teachers.

?We have got to find out what it is (they want) and then make it available, so that we encourage males to get involved and engaged,? he said.acknowledged that there was a shortage of men and that a better balance was needed for the benefit of boys who are failing in school.

He added: ?We have put a lot of energy into it and we are going to see results.?

Mr. Lister also said boys without a father figure at home often suffered academically.

?Our boys don?t get what they need if they haven?t got a father,? he said.

?To see fathers involved in CDP (the Government?s Child Development Programme) really brings joy. Fathers, please stay with your children.?

In an interview with last week, Mr. Lister expanded on what he called the ?huge problem? of failing boys in the public school system and Government?s plans to get more men into teaching.

He said: ?The only piece of compensation is that we are not dissimilar to anywhere else in the world. It is horrendous and it has serious impacts for tomorrow everywhere.

?For us here in Bermuda, if we can?t get our boys to perform in school and graduate we won?t be able to have a Bermudian Police force. We will find that we don?t have Bermudian males in accounting offices and law offices.?

He said the Government was investing in a recruitment programme called Males in Education. ?We are seeking to invite males in Bermuda who have university degrees to consider coming into teaching,? he said.

?We feel that if we can get more male teachers coming into education that will help get us on track.?