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A growing concern about boys
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| OK, I know you are going to say, “The only reason
he is writing on this topic is because he has five boys.” I
must admit that having that much testosterone around the
house does cloud one’s thinking a bit. However, this
issue has also been gaining national prominence. More and
more boys are failing in schools across our country. One
key fact in this rising trend is the declining number of
boys who are going on to college. Currently only 43% of college
graduates are boys. Conversely, the percentage of high school
dropouts is about 60% boys to 40% girls. The percentage of
special education students who are boys is almost 65%. This
percentage is roughly similar to the percentage of out-of-school
suspensions and discipline referrals that are male. What
is happening and what can we do about this growing male problem
in schools? The answer to that question is not easy. As of now, there are only opinions on the causes and the solutions. There is no hard evidence. One of the causes often sited is that boys are active learners. They frequently learn best from hands-on activities and visual learning supports. School classrooms are not typically set up to meet these learning preferences. This disconnect between boys’ learning styles and classroom practices might cause boys to be apathetic learners. Another theory is that boys are more engaged in technology in their out-of-school hours. This could include computer use and electronic games. These activities again are very fast paced and active. In contrast to this, the classroom pace and the delivery of instruction is necessarily much slower and less stimulating. The result, say some researchers, is that boys get turned off to school learning systems and look for other, less positive, activities on which to focus their attention. Recently, I was told that by the time the typical student graduates from high school they will have spent 5,000 hours reading, 10,000 hours on electronic games and 20,000 hours watching TV and DVDs. My guess is these numbers are even higher for the average boy. Still other experts decry the declining number of male adult role models. They say as boys see very few men modeling a love for reading and learning, many boys see these activities as feminine. Again, as fathers and other significant male adults express very little interest in the learning of their sons, boys see this as unimportant. They see learning as something to be endured rather than an important goal of their lives. Though the reasons for male learning indifference may be unclear, the consequences are not. Last year, for example, men with college degrees made an average wage of $47,000 per year. During that same time men without degrees earned only an average of $30,000. This difference in earning power is devastating not only for the men but also for their families. The difference is even greater between high school graduates and high school dropouts. Another dire consequence is the loss of brain power our country is experiencing due to underachievement of boys. As males fail to develop their educational potential, our workplaces suffer from lack of skilled employees. America, as a result, loses a huge competitive advantage with other countries as our boys enter adulthood without the schooling necessary to make them productive members of our economy. We could go on much longer with the negative consequences of male underachievement; these would include a growing prison population of males, a growing number of males requiring welfare assistance, and perhaps, the greatest consequence of all, the growing number of males who wander through life unfulfilled with talents underutilized. This is a tremendous personal tragedy for each one. If you have some ideas, let me know. This problem with boys may be one of the greatest our country faces. We as a community and as a nation must find solutions soon. The personal and societal costs of ignoring this growing tragedy have too many consequences to be ignored.
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