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Meet the Blockheads

A modern fatherless family

Why are our boys failing?

Not everyone is, but too many to count are.  During last week’s book launch party for Lives of Museum Junkies, I was asked two thought provoking questions.  One was, “What can be done to attract more women to the sciences?”  The second query was in response to my answer. I mentioned that I was more concerned about what was happening to boys than girls, and was then asked, “why?”  My answer, “because so many schools are failing to inspire their male students.” 

I want to share a few statistics to back up my claim, starting with comments from  the National Education Association (NEA).  NEA is particularly concerned about the growing gender gap in education and especially with poor male performance.  At every grade level girls exhibit superior social and behavioral skills than boys. They earn better grades and are more likely to continue with advanced training after high school.

A Pew Research Center report confirms this claim. In a 2012 study, 71% of young women enrolled in college immediately after high school as compared to 61% of men. The completion rate for entering male freshmen is  27%, while for women it is 36%.  Some of the gender discrepancy can be attributed to financial reasons, but not all.  Men are more cautious than women when it comes to taking out student loans and therefore are more willing to risk entering the job market without a degree. The fact that their entering pay scale is higher even at the non-degreed level helps.

Writing for NEA, Dr.Patricia Fioriello claims that some of the gender differences exist because our education system has different standards and expectations for boys vs girls that benefit female students. It is not that girls are smarter than boys, but that they are prone to work harder. Greater numbers of girls than boys are enrolled in advanced placement classes and are valedictorians of their class.  As a result, record numbers receive college scholarships, making it easier for them to continue. 

Over a lifetime of employment, the consequences for not completing college are dire since a diploma or training certificate is needed to get a well-paid job.  Those without degrees are twice as likely to experience unemployment. They are the first to be cut during a recession.  Obtaining a degree, however, does not guarantee pay equality. Men still command higher salaries than their female counterparts who find it especially difficult to get work in science and technology fields. 

In The Rise of Women, researchers DiPrete and Bachmann give an overview of the changed nature of our classrooms. At every stage, they find that girls are more persistent and have greater self-control than boys.  Girls get greater gratification from performing well, in part, because they don’t suffer the conflicts men have about their masculinity and the schoolroom.

With the onset of affirmative action, clubs such as girl scouts, parents and teachers started telling girls that they could succeed and be whatever they wanted. They were prodded and empowered and the bar for expectations was set high. The stigma around the sciences that existed when I was in high school where I was one of two girls enrolled in physics class has all but disappeared. Schools with strong science curricula now attract equal numbers of female students to their classes, reducing the gender gap of previous years.  

Young women are praised and rewarded for sitting quietly while males, with their high levels of testosterone, are punished for moving about.  It is primarily in sports that boys are encouraged to shine without fear of being branded a nerd or geek. On the field, they are instructed to push and tackle opponents while in class they are instructed to keep their hands to themselves and their mouths closed. These restrictions and rules inhibit their natural desire to explore and they constrain their freedom. Many boys are happy to be removed from the classroom and proud to be sent to the principal’s office. 

Accordingly, the National Review says that both sexes benefit by being raised in a stable married household.  Children growing up in female dominated, single-parent families often suffer, though the absence of a father appears to hurt boys more than it does girls.  When a well-educated dad is in the scene, boys are much more likely to achieve academic success. 

I believe that inspiring boys to want to learn is certainly possible.  Fathers can help by once more becoming mentors to their sons and by attending teacher conferences, not just sporting events. Attracting more males to the teaching profession would help by increasing   academic role models for boys.  In past generations, boys followed their father’s example, learning engineering skills by assisting them repair engines, fix plumbing, tinker with cars, build houses, and work with machinery.  Boys rarely see this type of work being done today. This month’s Kiplinger report states that jobs for plumbers, welders, electricians, mechanics and carpenters are in demand yet going unfilled. CNN announced that America has a persistent problem due to a lack of trained workers.

It would be beneficial if teacher ed classes taught a bout gender differences and how to deal with hormonal changes and brain variations of the two sexes. For instance, we know that young men are more likely to struggle with impulsive decisions and planning behavior due to a slower developmental timeline. In women, the reasoning part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, matures while they are in their mid-twenties. With men, it isn’t until they are in their late 20s and even 30s that the brain is more fully developed. Physical needs also vary.  Boys need to move more and to satisfy cravings for adrenaline highs and excitement. Adjusting classroom behavioral expectations is a first stem to accommodating the unique needs of each student.

Adjusting gender differences means embracing multiple approaches aimed at differing intelligence strengths. Rather than focusing primarily on linguistic learners, as is the norm, why not provide hands-on opportunities for kinesthetic, auditory, and tactile learners, to name a few?  All students benefit when given the opportunity to select shop classes, vocational training, apprenticeships, or arts or music education.  And, most important, to be able to navigate through daily living situations, youth need practical classes in financial management, non-violent communication, nutrition, food preparation and health. 

Lastly, praise works.  Let’s celebrate the achievements of our students rather than focus on their mistakes.  One of my sons attended Job Corps where he was rewarded for the smallest of accomplishments, with certificates and praises that were acknowledged in front of his fellow students.  By the end of a year, he was a high achiever with a stack of paper 1.5 inches high. He was so proud of his accomplishments that he wanted to frame them all. 

We have a lot to do to re-engineer our education system. 25-30% drop out rates are not acceptable.  32 million illiterate people wandering our streets is intolerable for a democratic society, and those numbers alone should sound a call for action.  We can do better. We must do better.   

References:

http://neatoday.org/2013/03/05/why-girls-are-outperforming-boys-in-school-2/ - Why Girls are Outperforming Boys in school.

The Rise of Women

The Growing Gender Gap in Education and What It Means for American Schools

by Thomas A. DiPrete Claudia Buchmann,   2013 - ISBN: 978-0-87154-051-5

 http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/03/06/womens-college-enrollment-gains-leave-men-behind/ - gender gap in college enrollment by Pew Research Center. 

 http://fortune.com/2013/03/27/boys-vs-girls-whats-behind-the-college-grad-gender-gap/ - Fortune Magazine article about college gender gap issues.

 http://www.nationalreview.com/article/425506/gender-gap-college-fatherless-households- National review and fatherless households.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/07/news/economy/us-economy-job-skills-gap/   CNN and need for skilled tradesmen. 

http://drpfconsults.com/surprising-facts-about-how-boys-are-treated-in-school/ - Hot Topics in Education by  Dr.Patricia Fioriello.

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