Which boys are underachieving

gratis_eekhoorn · 2024-12-21T15:13:15+00:00

u/Remarkable-Rate-9688 , please add your own thoughts into the post.

Stephen_Morgan · 2024-12-21T21:22:59+00:00

I don't like this article. It seems to be trying to debunk the idea that education is biassed against boys.

The point they are making is that not all boys do badly in education, some succeed. That's true. The problem is that all boys are disadvantaged on the basis of being boys. Even rich white boys do worse than rich white girls, even though they generally still succeed. By trying to shift focus to "which boys" are falling behind, they would distract from the fact that being male is the biggest factor conferring disadvantage in education, and by a very long way.

You want to focus on the extra disadvantages of poor boys, and boys from other groups that do worst, that's fine, but don't miss that their being boys is the most important factor influencing educational attainment. Don't miss that poverty, race, and all those other factors, are still gendered: the effects of poverty and racism and homophobia all hit boys a lot harder than girls.

To hijack a feminist phrase, not all boys are disadvantaged, but boys are always disadvantaged.

Butter_the_Garde · 2024-12-22T02:59:30+00:00

using texts in the language arts classroom to raise questions about the effects of stereotypes of masculinity on both boys' and girls' lives

But of course they never do the vice versa version. Because it’s only men who are the problem, see.

I can only image a class about “toxic masculinity”… eugh.

Comments