Originally Posted by knockoff nige

I think you're making too many assumptions and should probably move on. The teacher they rehired might have been at a time when applicants were scarce. Maybe not, but not fair to assume the one they just hired is probably a rubbish teacher.

Originally Posted by Lucas_Dad

In a nutshell (my original draft post was much longer!), my wife was interviewed for a teaching job. She unfortunately got the "bad news" call. It was between her and another man. They chose the man. Why? Simply because they wanted a man in the job. THAT WAS IT. The person that called has given some BS about the school having lots of women teachers and they wanted to redress the balance. Er, isn't this just a little bit a case of sex discrimination?

Can we afford a lengthy legal battle - not really. In truth, not at all. But perhaps with a bit of research and evidence we can write something suitably strong to someone. At the very least, someone somewhere needs a slap!

For now I and she because as we all know (don't we?) that is the temporary solution to everything!

Originally Posted by Deancm_MKII

It's called positive discrimination. Under equal opportunities, when there is a distinct imbalance, discrimination is permitted to redress the balance and provide opportunites for marginalised groups. In this case the marginalised group in a school is men.

Positive discrimination happens in the UK and Aus and it is usually against men and white people.

Originally Posted by Bermudashorts

I have just read the Sex Disrcimination Act 1984 and so no such allowances.

There are some exemptions to the sex equality laws, e.g. in acting or to protect decency and privacy (like search officers), but nothing remotely along the lines of redressing an balance of the sexes.

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/c...84209/s30.html

Originally Posted by chris955

I must admit I dont really get this, your wife got to the last 2 and the other person got the job. End of story really I would have thought, move on to the next job.

Originally Posted by chris955

As has been said if they wanted a man from the start why would your wife have got as far as she did ?

Originally Posted by Bermudashorts

There are some exemptions to the sex equality laws, e.g. in acting or to protect decency and privacy

Originally Posted by Deancm_MKII

Like females teachers going into male toilets/changing rooms?

I could see how that could provide an exemption for males if the school is co-ed and in severely female teacher heavy.

I remember about 10 years ago what happened with the Vic Police. The new Chief Commissioner of Police, Christine Nixon used positive discrimination/affirmative action and introduced quotas to increase the number of females in the force. Lot's of better qualified male applicants were rejected in favour of female recruits purely in an attempt to balance the female/male ratio.

Originally Posted by eddie007

But in this case the other candidate wasn't better qualified.....