This book explores how South Africa’s histories of colonialism and apartheid, together with cultural and social norms, shape how primary school teachers understand and respond to men’s absence and presence in the early years of schooling. It shows that explanations for why men do—or do not—teach young children are not neutral, but are embedded in complex, gendered processes that reflect the country’s distinctive socio-political landscape. In doing so, these interpretations often reproduce gendered inequalities that affect male and female teachers as well as the children they teach. Drawing on Southern theories, the book also offers a decolonial framework for researching men and masculinities in the early years, contributing new perspectives to debates about gender, care, and teaching in the Global South. This book will be of interest to scholars in Gender Studies, Masculinity Studies, Education, and Sociology.