Show Experts say boys are behind academically Kathryn Jones Globe Weekly News Remember the girl crisis of the early When it came to education girls were suffering academically in abig a abig abig big way and something needed needed needed need need- ed to be done The crisis was highly publicized and feminists feminists feminists femi femi- jumped on board creating creating creating creat creat- ing no small stir among com com- According to the Bangor Daily News Girls were invited to attend science and math camps visit colleges and universities and participate participate participate pate in mentoring programs The so named girl crisis began with the work of Professor Carol Gilligan in 1989 Support from feminist researchers ensued The nations nation's teenaged girls were reported as being academically academically academically cally shortchanged drained of their self-esteem self by a society society society soci soci- ety that favors boys said Christian Hoff Sommers scholar from the American Institute The Gender Gender- Equity Act followed categorizing girls as an under served tion on par with other dis- dis criminated-against criminated minori minori- ties Millions of dollars in grants were awarded to study the plight of girls and to learn how to cope with the insidious ous bias against them Today some ten plus years later the tables have turned Suddenly experts are looking at the other side of the coin the side they were pretty darn sure was grounded According to a new study in March of 2005 issued bythe by bythe bythe the US U.S. Department of Education DoE outlined inThe in inThe inThe The Heartland Institute regarding education females are more likely to graduate from high school and college while males are more likely to participate in the workforce Girls are more likely to enroll in college college college col col- lege immediately after high school and to complete a degree than are boys Girls earn more bachelors bachelor's and masters master's degrees and are closing closing closing clos clos- ing the gap in attainment of professional and doctoral degrees According to Sommers This is a genuine problem A problem that could become y f.- f. d o A d NI a I. I o a v Physical activity or competition in classrooms could increase male attention to their studies critical So what of boys Solutions to the boys in crisis' crisis dilemma are as open and varied as fla- fla flavors flavors vors from retaining more more male teachers fathers father's attending PTA conferences like they do sporting events to more on hands-on involve involve- t- t a Crisis risis Continued on Page 3 Crisis Continued from front ment in the classroom A Latino student admits Ive seen a whole lot more dads who dont don't care about their boys boy's education than I have moms Another student adds Girls are doing better because they are expected to todo todo todo do better To do more To do doit doit doit it all To me it seems like nothing is expected of boys anymore According to the DoE the gender gap in collegiate sports participation favoring narrowed and boys has female athletes are more than male malea likely to graduate athletes a And it is estimated that girls read and write better than boys and that the gap gap between math scores is getting getting getting get get- ting slimmer Boys have more academic problems than g girls from the early elementary elemen- elemen even where more boys tary tarr girls S years are diagnosed with than girls disabilities emotional emotional emotion emotion- learning earning al disturbances and speech impediments decade ago a And yet a by y the study published Association of American America University Women in in 1992 teachers suggested that favored boys activities stressed competition and textbooks textbooks textbooks text text- books ignored women What does this mean Do Dothe Dothe Dothe the latest results by the DoE give boys of all ages the right to be slackers because they can be While Sommer would blame the feminist scholars for the current issue with boys stating that the efforts on behalf of girls turned into a war against boys and parents may blame schools believing they should recruit more male teachers that can relate better with boys Perhaps classes should include more physical activity and competition as in previous years For others including teachers teach teach- ers who have changed the way they teach the blame must be removed completely and in its place a real solution offered and applied one applied one that doesn't turn around in the next decade in pursuit of the girl crisis In the end there is no room for blame or anything anything anything any any- thing else other than a tion |