Positive discrimination should be introduced to ensure that at least 20 per cent of teachers are male, the INTO has claimed.
In a highly significant move, the union also calls for the requirement of a Grade C or higher in the Leaving Certificate honours Irish exam to be ended.
This requirement has a significant impact on the entry rate of men to teaching, the union believes, which is currently so low that by 2035 there could be no male teachers left at primary level in the State. The controversial claims are made in a major new discussion document by the INTO on the gender imbalance in primary teaching.
It calls on the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, to seek legal advice regarding "positive action" measures to increase the number of males in primary teaching.
Out of a total of 25,913 primary teachers in the system, just 17.5 per cent are male, the report reveals. This has serious consequences for the socialisation of pupils and what they learn about male/female relationships.
"In making this recommendation," the document states, "we note that at present there are positive action measures in place based on Gaeltacht residency and on the religion ground. Positive action measures might operate in a similar manner in respect of gender, with a lower entry standard for a defined number of male candidates."
Another approach, it continues, might be to introduce a minimum entry standard with gender quotas applied to any student scoring above this minimum level. While the legality of such positive action measures might be open to question, the Equality Bill 2004 might also strengthen the case for introducing these same measures.