Stop Picking on Boys!
November 20, 2008 on 12:12 pm | In Boys, Children, Education, Gender
Email This Post I am so unbelievably sick of academic feminist organizations perpetually whining about their imagined assaults on girls in education. A long time ago, The American Association of University Women once had me give a keynote speech at one of their luncheons. I looked around the room of successful and powerful (mostly older) women, and wondered why they had to have a meeting to complain about how difficult it is for women to succeed…when we had a room chock full of women who had incredible accomplishments because of their efforts and sacrifices.
I didn’t get a standing ovation and never got invited back.
The truth interferes with the perpetual “we are victims” mentality of the feminist activists. Here are the facts:
* 2/3 of all learning disability diagnoses are for boys
* 70 percent of all D’s and F’s go home with boys (they’re not challenged appropriately)
* 90% of school discipline referrals are for boys (it’s hard to make boys sit still)
* 80% of all Ritalin takers are boys (yeah…drug the little buggers into submission - a kind of psychological castration, I’ve always thought)
* 80% of school drop outs…are…boys!
* Fewer than 40% of college students are currently males (making it harder for girls to find a date)
Girls, in general, are surpassing boys in school in all subjects except math and science - and that gap has been closing quickly
Other facts are that boys are more competitive, energetic, visual, physical, risk-taking and so on than are girls. Boys need a different learning environment than girls. The “girly”-oriented educational system in the United States demands that boys become like girls or be medicated.
Boys need more physical movement in the curriculum. They need recesses to work off that male energy, they appreciate reading more male-friendly subjects, they like projects, and they enjoy competing rather than cooperating and all getting the same grade. Boys do better with male mentors, and boys need teachers with more of a sense of humor toward “boy antics” without punishment or demeaning reactions.
I believe boys and girls should have separate classrooms, curriculum, teaching styles, and completely different academic environments.
The beginning of the feminist attack on the educational process proclaimed that girls were being short-changed. Maybe so…and, if so, maybe the best thing for girls is a girl-centered and oriented academic program.
3 comments:
Liz, I was with you for the most part until you said, "I believe boys and girls should have separate classrooms, curriculum, teaching styles, and completely different academic environments."
The whole "separate but equal" thing hasn't worked well in the past and it won't work know. I think the bigger problem is the fact that education in this country on a non-college level is not valued. Teachers make crap, legislation won't budget enough moeny, and when the voters are asked to change this, the answer comes back no.
If you had teachers making a decent amount of money and classroom numbers were small enough for teachers to actually be able to focus on individuals, and if parents would become more involved in their child's education, alot of these problems would work themselves out.
Hey MB- actually it was Dr. Laura who said that- you were reading her posting within mine. I'd be interested in reading about where it hasn't worked in the past - where did you read that? I know there has been great success with education that comes from schools that operate with genders separate or the like and think it would be a very interesting turn for public education to take (don't some, if not many, private schools do this- I'll have to read up on it).
Hereagain though, it looks like we fundamentally disagree on an issue- the public system (like other government directed agencies around these days) seems to be failing in too many areas to excuse anymore. Despite the issues behind this- if they can't make it work better than they are (and I haven't seen improvement in awhile, especially when it comes to dumbing-down the cirriculums for a lot of reasons) then it's time to look at different possibilities- I'm all for school vouchers. Why not let people decide how they'd like for their children to be educated? In private or charter schools the classrooms are better, there's a definite objective and focus, the learning experience is more interactive, the teachers are paid better, and the students that I personally know who are in these types of schools really thrive and enjoy the experience along the way- its a win win. Freedom of Choice anyone?
I think there are many occupations today that exist thrive today (mechanics, carpentry, and other skilled professions like to name a few) based on their skills and experience alone. My uncle was never college educated but has great ambition and has made a lot of money and has enjoyed great success - just as an example. He places physicians - for this it takes patience, conviction, dedication...but not a college education.
If public schools can't succeed without all the interventions from government, then we should produce something that will succeed.
I totally agree though about the great lack of parental involvement in their chidren's education, but moreover lives, period. We can't make people's decisions for them though (much to my angst) but we can try other things and encourage persistently. As long as we're a nation concerned with beating out the Jones' or behaving financially irresponsibly (working to afford our credit card payments so we can have it all or living beyond our means and/or growing families irresponsibly then not having enough time for them due to costs...its all part of it). We were a nation founded on doing an honest days work and good ole fashioned competiotion - bailing out failing businesses shouldn't be the job of the people or government- it should be the job of the co. itself. If your business can work then make it work, if it can't then scrap it and start anew differently. It all comes down to personal repsonsibility doesn't it?
The "separate but equal" to which I was referring was the Plessy vs. Ferguson case of 1896. In this case I'm sure there will not be substandard education for either men or women, but IMO it just won't work.
See, we actually do agree on the voucher thing. I'm all for it. If you believe that your child will learn and function better in something other than a public school where boys and girls are learning together, than go for it and allow the government to help out. I just want to make sure my tax dollars are being used in an appropriate way.
The thing is, not all boys thrive on competition or need more physical activities and not all girls need to be more lovingly nurtured. To separate boys and girls from the start would be a great disservice to this society. Men and women need to learn how to work together, to be graded together, as well as individually.
The workplace is not a one on one competition. More often than not projects are worked on in teams, not individually. This also applies in our families. Isn't there some Saturday's Warrior song that says "Pulling together we can work it out". Please don't think I quote this musical often and think of it as scripture...very very VERY far from it, but it does point out that families are not individuals working next to each other but with each other.
If Slade will learn better in an all boys school, then that's where he needs to go, but for someone like my son Aren, who doesn't thrive on the competition, who will never be able to compete in physical competitions because of lasting effects from medical conditions, separating him would ruin him.
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