ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS NO GOOD WITHOUT ACTION ON FAILING BOYS EDUCATION

A recent post highlighted how the gender pay gap showing young women get paid more than young men and this is one of the clear signs of the educational establishment's failure to give boys a decent education. At least two generations of boys have seen their education damage by establishment failure and neglect.

This has been caused by the move from exam-based O-levels to course-based GCSE's, few male teachers, the feminisation of the curriculum turning pupils into robots with little room for initiative or challenge (letting boys be boys) and a whole host of other issues covered in these recent posts in particular (1, 2).

The symptoms been clear for some while now. We have the gender pay gap as mentioned, we have more females entering the professions as highlighted by the Daily Telegraph, 40% of women participate in higher education (university) against 32% of men and there are gaps at A-level (though Daily Telegraph said it narrowed this year), GCSE level (BBC) and also concern about how boys are falling behind at a SATS level (BBC 1, BBC 2 , BBC 3, Daily Mail).

The issue is that while there is recognition that boys are behind, it is almost treated as a footnote rather than something that is a core or central problem. There are one off type initiatives but nothing central or fundamental.

Why has the government not commissioned full scale research  or a Commission looking at why boys are now way behind girls educationally. Michael Gove (Education Secretary) acknowledges the problem of boys being behind academically but does absolutely nothing about it.

Why is the Education Selection Committee in Parliament silent on the issue?

There is lots of hot air but precious little action from the government, just like the last, about seriously tackling this issue. Another reason for a Minister for Men.

And of course, if it was girls who were underperforming we would never hear the end of it.

Posted by Skimmington 

Comments

[J. MacKie]

There is a tendency for those born shortly after 1945 to think that modern education fails period. The dumbing down of education year upon year, with corresponding yearly increases in exam results is now a ritual few raise an eyebrow to.
Your point as regards boys causes me to recall my youngest daughter's homework some years back. It was English homework but not the Shakespeare, RL Stevenson, Dickens or Shelley common in my schooldays. It was the discussion of feminism. Somewhat appalled, I at least know why boys are disengaged in school. Year after year our teacher training colleges must be churning out femenazis all itching to indoctrinate the next generation of schoolkids.

[Stephen]

Oh you failures. Firstly J. MacKie, you cannot generalise to the entire education system based upon one piece of English homework that you saw, it is a logical fallacy. Had there been a movement for male rights in the 20th Century then I'm sure pupils would be looking at that. But there wasn't. Why was that again? Oh, yeah. Because for centuries women have been the ones discriminated against.
I am a male, in higher education, hoping to go to university next year, if I can afford it. I mean you talk of 'establishment failure' ruining education Skimmington, why not rant about education fees?
Also you say this has been clear for 'some time'. How long exactly? It's a bit vague. What statistics are you using by the way? I'm curious as to how these were collected, and how reliable they are. Perhaps instead of quoting a second-hand source such as a newspaper you could be clearer?
I do agree on one point however. The education system does turn pupils into robots, it has lost creativity and is primarily indoctrinating us to take on particular jobs. We are taught to question nothing and accept what we are taught as fact. However your claim that this is due to feminisation is flawed. If, perhaps, you could provide evidence that would be helpful.
I can provide a first hand account however. In history we cover Women's Rights, that is true. However that is only because that was a key event in history, as was World War 1 or 2, or Vietnam or many other events given equal merit with education. There is no emphasis placed upon Feminism, nor are we taught to prefer women to men, merely to try and treat all equally.
I assure you that within society as a whole, it is still patriarchal in nature, you do not need to fear. You mentioned the pay gap for young people, perhaps forgetting to mention pay gaps that still have women receiving far less.
Psychologically women are still discriminated against more, even if not necessarily on a conscious level. The male is still seen more favourably.
And while yes, females stereotypically outperform males in education, this means little at such a low level within schooling. This ever so slight edge was present far before any of your fears of feminisation and loss of a male dominated society came into play, just females were not given equal opportunites to prove themselves in early 20th Century.
I am just glad that people such as you are still the minority, I hope you can come to realise that there is no plot to have women as the dominant gender, I'm sure your right wing patriarchal families will quell any rebellion amongst the lesser females.

[J. Mackie]

Thank you young Stephen for your input. Try re-reading my comment. In respect of boys being disengaged I related my daughter's homework.
My generalisation of the dumbing down of the education system was that of increasing exam success. Particularly so when I chat to youngsters and they don't understand phrases such as "skeletal staffing","ran foul of" to name but two phrases I have used that have met with blank incomprehension.
Dear Stephen, I wish you well in your future studies but prefer not to be lectured to by someone whereby I was in uniform before they were in liquid form.

[Stephen]

I re-read your comment as you asked. My point still stands. When I commented upon your generalisation I was not referring to your point about dumbing down of education, I was talking about how you generalised from one piece of homework, implying that all education was like this. After all you suggested that teacher training (assumedly across the country) was churning out femenazis. I'd say that's a generalisation.
Once again, you use a sweeping generalisation. How many young people have you spoken to at length, where they cannot understand phrases? While I admit it is possible that most young people cannot understand phrases that you may think are commonplace, an answer cannot be determined one way or the other with respect to the nation, based solely upon your conversations. For the record, I understand those phrases.
Thank you, and merry Christmas to you. To your final point I would say that age does not influence knowledge - while I do not presume to know which of us is more intelligent, the older generations can learn from the younger ones, just as the younger learn from the older. My age should not mean that you disregard my comments.