This guy’s talking about schools in Britain. Is it the same here in the States?
Boys are being failed by our schools
A generation of boys is leaving school unable to cope in the modern world because lessons have become “feminised”, according to a renowned academic.
They are falling behind in exams and the job market because teachers fail to nurture traditional male traits such as competitiveness and leadership.
Dr Tony Sewell said schools instead celebrate qualities more closely associated with girls such as methodical working and attentiveness in class.
He warned that boys are becoming disaffected and flunk exams and job interviews because their competitive instincts have been discouraged.
Some become so alienated they turn to gang violence to vent their frustrated masculine sides.
“Some boys may not be academic but have got strong common sense and practical skills. Where in the system do we reward those types of common sense skills?”
He said girls would often complete a given project because they were “meant to” even if it was boring.
He added: “There’s evidence that boys want to know there’s a purpose for doing something. We need to look at the way in which we teach in schools to make it more interesting.”
This could include experimenting with lesson and exam formats to inspire boys.
“Exams rather than coursework seem to be better for boys so there could be a return to that. But there are different ways of assessing. You could use for example a boardroom-type test.”
Dr Sewell said the summer academy for boys organised by his Generating Genius charity had adapted the Apprentice TV show for science classes, with prizes for the winners.
duh.
oh, I mean… yeah, we’re too worried about PC, and not teaching one what offends the other, that we forgot to teach anything that matters.
I mentioned ethics below, and I’m sure that being an adult is another thing that’s missing.
Crap. School diplomas are issued to individuals as an indicator to future employers and or associates that the individual was able to complete assigned tasks in a reasonable amount of time. Creativity, linear and/or original thinking, attentiveness to detail and an industrious approach to any task are not feminine traits, but rather a personality traits package that is reserved for successful people.
World governments have failed to provide leadership and inspiration to the legions of garbage heap people that crawl through our societies, but busting little boy’s balls in school ain’t one of the problems.
The article isn’t suggesting that academics be de-emphasized for boys, but that the methods for teaching them be re-examined. Hell, It wasn’t too long ago, in our history, that logic, science and mathematics was chiefly a male sport.
Schools have become much too touchy-feely in general. There is too much effort put into not allowing anybody to become offended, to not expose children to the harsh reality of occasional failure, and to force diversity for diversity’s sake when there is nothing gained academically from it. These schools are hindering children from developing the skills they need to cope with real life.
It’s not the school’s place to teach boys to be men. It’s the men’s place. Unfortunately, there’s a huge lack of Men in America and (apparently) the world. One only has to watch a half dozen Dr Phil shows to see that problem.
I’m sure the good points this raises are going to be drowned out… but it is time that we recognise and celebrate the differences between men and women.
Men and women are different, both in physical and mental ways. You can’t hope to teach both the exact same way all the time.
5. and that’s why we need all boy / all girl schools! or, maybe JHS was why we needed that… I forget.
but to 4’s credit, it very well could be that there are no real men left, because there were no real men to teach our boys to be real men. that said, who will teach our boys’ boys to be real men? how can we regain real men if there are no real men to teach them to be real men? Dr Phil can’t do it, I’ve seen Scary Movie N, and I heard what he said!!
It’s the same here. Christina Hoff Summers wrote about it in The War Against Boys.
Its not only what you have posted.
Its that, INSTEAD of giving both MALE and Female options and teaching, they STILL only give 1 side.
What ever happened to SHOP class and learning to do wood work, and metal work. And LETTING the girls try it also.
Unless you are a JOCK, there is little that is given to both sexes.
We want Girls to be GIRLS, and never to learn how to build up their bodies. so we tend to Push them away from the physical classes, and with ALL the cuts in schooling, we DONT teach the other physical crafts.
“What ever happened to SHOP class and learning to do wood work, and metal work.”
One word: lawsuits.
I believe the going rate is a million bucks per splinter.
Interesting. A little while I was talking to some people about how well we did when there was actually a reason to do it. We could really get into things when there seemed to be a purpose or a way to blow everyone else out of the water. Some of these people didn’t do homework half the time, but on every project, paper, presentation, they would deliver.
These were all guys, but we never made that association. We assumed it was just a personality trait.
they have already shown that girls do better and go into math, science and the like when there are no boys in the classes. What they forgot in that study was the effect of no girls in a class on the boys learning. It apparently went up….a side effect they weren’t expecting. It does make it clear that gender seperate classes are much better for learning and confidence. But the schools say that they can’t afford to do it, and that it dosen’t foster *social networking* .
Well, at least the Marine Corps still has segregated boot camp for men and women. So all hope is not lost. 😉
“He said girls would often complete a given project because they were “meant to” even if it was boring.”
welcome to the workplace. not all work is emotionally satisfying or intellecutally riveting. get used to having to do things that bore you so you can get that paycheck and then go do things that interest you.
and what’s with putting this all on schools, anyway? They have you for six hours with 25 others for 9 mos and your parents have you for 18 hours with maybe one or two others for 12 mos. so who has the time and influence?
And I thought that having a homophobe coach was enough testosterone the kids needed.
As Carlin would say it, this is the result of “the continued pussification of the American male”.
Okay, okay, he was talking about Harley Davidson theme restaurants, but the sentiment applies.
What whould be constreud as a real men 20 years ago are locked up today. the jails are full of them.
Wow.
People expect public schools to do everything. I wonder what modern parenting now entails: seems parents need only procreate, and then simply sit back and complain if public schools are not able to provide all academic education and socialization.
Jeff,
Welcome to the wonderful liberal world of the “nanny” state, where personal responsibility is only required where there hasn’t yet been a government program created to relieve you of the burden.
17,
the work force is OVER worked.
It used to be, that 1 person got to stay home, to monitor and teach the children…what do you see NOW.
cost of living is going so HIGH, from inflated pricing, that its HARd to make ends meet.