Gu Huanghua, a 32-year-old male math teacher at a primary school in the Fengxian district of Shanghai

In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion about the scarcity of male schoolteachers, which may be a hidden peril and produce a generation of shy, effeminate boys. However, I believe that fathers count more than male teachers.

The family has a stronger influence on a child's disposition and temperament than the school. Family members with whom the child spends a lot of time are his or her behavioral mirrors.

Unfortunately, in the 10 years I have worked as a schoolteacher, I have noticed that mothers seem far more dedicated to their children's lives and studies than fathers.

We have a parents' chat group on WeChat for our class of 35 students, but only four of the parents in the group are male.

When we hold parents' meetings at school, more mothers attend than fathers. And when we ask the students to undertake assignments at home with their parents, most of them say their mothers helped them more than their fathers did.

Mothers are generally more patient with children, but fathers must know that they are indispensable to their children, especially boys, who need them as role models to teach them about responsibility, humor and ambition.

Fathers should also serve as role models when it comes to behaving properly toward women. In past generations, boys had plenty of childhood opportunities to learn about taking care of their younger siblings, but things have changed.

That's because most school-age children nowadays are the only child in their family and they grow up being pampered by parents and grandparents.

If they don't see how their fathers respect and love their mothers in relatively trivial issues, such as holding doors open or pulling out a chair at the dining table, how will they learn to act like gentlemen when they become husbands and fathers?

I want more male colleagues because I feel very lonely; only three of the 40 math teachers in our school are men, and for teachers of Chinese it is even worse because there is only one man out of more than 40 teachers.

If things continue as they are, many men will think that being a schoolteacher is far from challenging and the pay is too low for them to consider the job.

Gu Huanghua spoke with Zhou Wenting.