Children at private prep schools are twice as likely to be taught by a man than pupils in state primaries, research suggests.
Almost a third (32 per cent) of full-time teachers in prep schools are male, according to a study by the Independent Association of Prep Schools and the Independent Schools Council.
In English state primary schools, one in six teachers (15 per cent) are men, figures from the Training and Development Agency for Schools show. The study suggests it is "potentially a problem" if the teaching workforce becomes dominated by one gender.
A TDA poll of 800 men, conducted last year, found that male primary school teachers are vital role models for boys, with almost half of men saying that a male teacher has been a fundamental role model in their life.
IAPS chief executive officer David Hanson said: "Male teachers can be great role models for children, especially boys, and demonstrate that learning is an acceptable masculine activity."
The survey survey also confirms that privately education youngsters benefit from much smaller class sizes.
There is one teacher for every 9.7 pupils at prep schools, compared to one teacher for every 21.4 children in state primaries, it claims. The study used published private schools data and a survey of 188 IAPS prep schools to examine the value of a private prep school education.
It found that nine in 10 (90 per cent) of the schools teach pupils a language from the age of eight (Year 4), and at more than half (56 per cent) of schools, pupils receive one-to-one music lessons.
The vast majority (96 per cent) of prep school teachers questioned said they felt their pupils were well behaved, with one in eight saying they had experienced low level bad behaviour in the last week.
A survey released by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) earlier this year found that a third of all primary school staff had reported incidents of violent behaviour such as punching and kicking.
ISC chief executive officer David Lyscom said: "A wide range of factors lie behind parents' decisions to educate their children at independent schools.
"In particular they look for choice, lower pupil/teacher ratios than in the state sector, discipline and a broad education with opportunities for extra-curricular activities."
A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "Boys need good role models and that's why we want to see more male teachers, particularly in primary schools. "Recently there has been an increase in the number of men coming forward to be primary school teachers but there is still more to do improve the workforce's diversity.
"The TDA is doing a lot to attract men to train to be primary teachers - with more male centred recruitment campaigns, stressing the financial rewards and career development prospects, and taster courses.
"Turning round the completely wrong perception among potential male teachers that primary schools do not offer as demanding a job as secondary schools or such good prospects will not happen overnight? but the TDA is taking exactly the right sort of approach."