Analysis: Why Are All the Stories About Boys Falling Behind Girls at School Ignoring the Forces Keeping Them There?
A recent surge of articles addressing the issue of boys falling behind in school does a commendable job presenting the facts. However, they fail to effectively raise the right questions.
Consider the recent article in The Atlantic as an example. The piece contains accurate and compelling facts: in 2015, 72.5 percent of recent female high school graduates were enrolled in college, compared to 65.8 percent of males. This is a significant shift from 1967 when only 57 percent of males and 47.2 percent of females pursued higher education.
This data holds great significance. In today’s society, where employers increasingly require college degrees for jobs that may not necessarily require specialized skills, there is a pronounced disparity with 2.2 million more women than men attending college.
This alarming statistic begs the question: why has there been no progress in addressing the challenges faced by boys? All these articles share the same statistics, similar to what I documented in my book, "Why Boys Fail," published a decade ago. It appears that little has changed regarding the struggle boys face in education, with no substantial improvements.
To those new to this subject, the question may seem intricate and difficult to answer. One may assume that numerous complex social issues contribute to the unsolvability of this dilemma.
However, this assumption does not hold weight.
The reason for the lack of progress is rather simple: none of the key stakeholders are willing to take action. This realization led to my own disillusionment with the topic, which is why I seldom write about it anymore.
Ironically, half of our children are boys. So who would be opposed to implementing measures that could enhance their success in K-12 schools, increasing their likelihood of earning college degrees necessary for numerous modern jobs?
Surprisingly, many individuals involved in our education system oppose such measures.
Let’s start with elementary school teachers, the majority of whom are female, who often find themselves frustrated by boys in their classrooms who exhibit more assertiveness in participating. They often wonder if they should concentrate more on encouraging the shy girls who may feel intimidated.
However, the teachers’ focus would be better directed towards acknowledging the fact that many of these boys lack a solid understanding of the subject matter. They are simply restless and eager to participate.
What about school principals? Shouldn’t they be held accountable for students’ academic performance? To some extent, yes, but only when it comes to measuring racial and socioeconomic disparities. Gender gaps have never been part of the accountability framework.
Next, let’s consider the major players in staffing and administration within schools – the teachers unions: the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. These unions vehemently oppose any attempts to hold them responsible for societal problems.
They argue that boys lag behind solely due to the influence of poverty, asserting that solving poverty will solve the educational gender gap. They claim that teaching methods have no influence on boys’ performance.
At first glance, their argument seems plausible. The gender gap is indeed more pronounced among impoverished minority boys. However, disparities can be observed across all socioeconomic levels, including within expensive private schools where girls must achieve at significantly higher levels to secure positions in selective colleges. Even boys from working-class white families experience significant gender gaps, as revealed during my research in Maine.
One might assume that parents demand explanations for why their sons consistently underperform compared to their daughters. Surprisingly, this is not the case. Educators often reassure parents that boys are simply late starters and will eventually catch up. Parents, therefore, continue engaging in traditional activities like playing football with their sons and reading with their daughters, unaware of the harsh reality that many boys never bridge the gap.
In the realm of higher education, middle-class and upper-middle-class parents with underperforming sons often find a loophole that obscures these disparities. Many colleges, desperate to balance their gender ratios, willingly admit less academically qualified males. The message to parents becomes clear: if you have the financial means, your son will find a place in higher education.
Let us now consider the American Association of University Women (AAUW), closely allied with the teachers unions. The AAUW emphasizes the continuous efforts to increase female participation in math and science courses, as well as STEM careers. Although progress has been made in addressing this issue at the high school and college levels, the AAUW perceives any shift in focus towards boys as a threat to girls’ progress.
Promoting female participation in STEM is undoubtedly significant; these campaigns have yielded positive results. However, why can’t K-12 schools simultaneously address the obstacles that hinder boys’ early literacy skills?
In conclusion, the articles highlighting the issue of boys falling behind in school make an important contribution by presenting the facts. Nevertheless, they fail to address the crucial questions that need to be asked in order to bring about meaningful change.
Boys observe that girls excel in school, particularly in reading and writing, and come to the conclusion that school is primarily for girls. While this may not be an irrational conclusion, it often leads to detrimental outcomes for boys, as the demand for literacy skills, even within math and science classes, intensifies as they progress to higher grades.
What is needed is a concerted effort to address these disparities, similar to the efforts made to support girls in science and math. However, it seems unlikely that such actions will be taken due to the aforementioned reasons. Teachers, administrators, teachers unions, and organizations like the AAUW all seem to prefer maintaining the status quo.
As a result, no significant improvements have been made to support boys in education. It appears that nobody truly desires to see a change in this situation.
Richard Whitmire, an education writer and the author of five books on education, including "Why Boys Fail," emphasizes the need for reform.
Receive stories like these directly in your inbox by signing up for Newsletter.
