Women could learn form teaching style of men!

The TES writes that female teaching need to stop talking so much and at such a high pitch if they are to engage with boys in classes. Celia Lashlie, an education adviser and author from New Zealand, said women are important to boys' learning, but they need to learn from the male colleagues.

Women should make more use of silence - asking a question then giving boys time to think before answering - and non-verbal cues such as raised eyebrows. They also should talk at a lower pitch.

"Don't speak so much - just shut up," says Ms Lashlie, a self-described feminist. "I've been in classes with young female teachers and by the end of the session my ears hurt."

Ms Lashlie also recommends that heads 'defeminise' the workforce by employing more men and dealing with boys' fathers rather than their mothers. Too often, she says, parents turn up for meetings with their son's teacher or headteacher, and the mother talks while the father is too scared to say a word. Some schools are already considering making fathers sign an admissions charter agreeing that they will be the first point of contact with the school.