<p>Interesting. Thanks for sharing the link. </p>
<p>Women outnumbering men in higher education is a worldwide phenomenon--it even happens in Iran under the Islamic Republic. When I lived in Taiwan the first, now almost a generation ago, that was already noticed there, that girls went to college at higher rates than boys and formed a majority of the enrolled college students.</p>
<p>60% grad rate by 2012. Wow. It's already about 67% among AA females. Can bode well for both sexes depending on how you look at it. If you're a female the prospect for getting your degree and having more opportunities would seem to be greater. If you you're a male, your prospects for getting into more selective schools may be greater due to " underrepresentation."</p>
<p>Thanks for the article. </p>
<p>The statement about boys hating school really hit home with me. After raising two Ds who loved school, it has been frustrating to raise now middle-school S who has hated school since kindergarten. I haven't been able to figure out the reason, other than my gut feeling that school is set up for girls.</p>
<p>I think that gut feeling is correct. Most of K-12 schooling is a very girl-friendly environment.</p>
<p>Before this devolves into another deck-stacked-against-boys whinefest: I did the math from the article. There were 1,000,000 more boys in college in 2006 than in 2000 -- over a 15% increase, and far, far greater than the comparatively modest echo-boom bulge. Lots more boys will be graduating, too. Boys are going to college and finishing college in greater numbers than ever. Much greater numbers.</p>
<p>The only way one can read any kind of "boy crisis" into this is by comparing the boys' numbers to the girls' even greater increases. Then it's all, "The boys are falling behind, wah-wah-wah!" </p>
<p>There are about 2 million more girls in college than boys. Since the overall numbers in that age cohort are approximately the same, I would love to see an accounting of where the "missing" 2 million boys are. My guess: boys can be found disproportionately in the military, well-paid blue collar jobs, well-paid illegal jobs, and prison. I would be surprised if you couldn't find an extra 2 million 18-27 year-old boys in those four places. They're not equally laudable, of course, but none of them has much to do with the supposed "girl-friendly environment" of K-12 schools.</p>
<p>I don't want to see the thread devolve into a boys vs. girls education either (been there, done that). </p>
<p>Bay and tokenadult,
My oldest son was fortunate to have male teachers in 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, and many in 9th-12th grades (various subjects). It really made a difference- there was a definite difference in the way my son related to these teachers (they tended to do more science activities in the early grades, were more "gruff" which my son thought was funny/cool, participated with the kids in athletic games during recess time, and there was just a general role-modelish, admiration-thing...as it so happened, most of his male teachers were athletes in high school or college which added to my son's hero worship). Maybe that made a difference in how he viewed school- maybe not. I'm not complaining though.</p>
<p>I have two girls followed by a straggler boy. They are so incredibly different. Both girls are prepared to run the world, but the boy has always been more laid back. I expect to send him to an all boys high school with many men teachers because that particular has had very good success.</p>
<p>All that aside, I read an interesting article yesterday about how the decrease in testosterone levels and sperm count (possibly due to environmental contaminants) have had a major impact on the go-getter-ness of boys and young men. No, I can't give a link because I can't remember where I saw this, but I'm sure many of you have already seen that information elsewhere.</p>
<p>While there is not much of a "boy crisis" among upper class white or asian, there is certainly a crisis among lower class URM.</p>
<p>I'm with JHS here, and I have a son at Williams who has best friends at Princeton, MIT, Haverford, UPenn et al. As a woman's studies teacher one statistic that shocked women to hear was that the earning ability of a female college graduate equalled that of a male high school drop-out. This was ten years ago, so things may have changed a bit, but not substantially. I'm pretty sure that the garbage men on my block earn more than I do with my PhD. I'm not whining here; just wondering where would be the motivation to follow my route?</p>
<p>There may be, or may not be, a "boy crisis" in this country -- but fact is that this country, its politics, economy, sciences and arts are still controled by grown up boys who out-earn grown up girls.</p>
<p>Oops, I certainly didn't mean to sound like I was whining. I just noted a parallel between what the article seems to convey, (i.e., girls doing well in school and boys hating school) and my own family. I expect my S to attend college, but who knows? He still hates school.</p>
<p>JHS - interesting theory on the 2 million "missing" boys, but don't forget that girls probably seek blue-collar occupations as frequently as boys, and teenage/college age girls also end up as unemployed mothers at a rate of about 250,000 per year. (Don't quote me on that number, I just remember hearing it somewhere!)</p>
<p>When I saw how things would go in the first grade, I decided to homeschool my sons - and my D too. School-type activities over by 11:30 - all afternoon, every day, outside, exercising major muscles, seeing the world, building dams across our little creek... you get the picture. Never once was there any whining about "I hate school." I know not everyone can do this,but the pay-off is huge in their late teens.</p>
<p>Bay
Is there another school that you could research with your S? Perhaps a magnet school, or even a private school. Its sad to see a young male so unmotivated by school.</p>
<p>bookworm,</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestion, but we tried switching schools (twice, actually!), to no avail. Once was due to a geographical move, the second time to a private school for this very reason. It didn't seem to make a difference in his feeling towards going to school, but at least the present school seems to place alot of emphasis on ensuring that he does not fail.</p>
<p>
[quote]
There may be, or may not be, a "boy crisis" in this country -- but fact is that this country, its politics, economy, sciences and arts are still controled by grown up boys who out-earn grown up girls.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Bay--sure, there are blue collar jobs open to women, but they tend to pay much less than the traditionally male jobs. And there are unquestionably less women in jail. But overall, the point that JHS is making, I believe, is that women are choosing other routes less often, and choosing college more often. Males are doing so at a lower rate, for a variety of social reasons that are probably not based on the girliness of their elementary schools. (after all, our boys are choosing college, right?)</p>
<p>As far as unwed mothers, the school I work at is teeming with them, all determined to make a better life for their kids. Unwed motherhood is definitely not incompatible with a college education.</p>
<p>Greetings!</p>
<p>I am fascinated by what appears to be an international trend. The controversey for me has nothing to do with whether schools are more "girl friendly". What are people basing this on? Elementary schools in particular have always been female-heavy in our culture. The controversy in my mind relates to the differential accept rates that favor males at our colleges and universities as a direct result of this trend. This has only recently come to light, and raises all of the same questions as the ongoing affirmative action debate re: racial/ethnic groups. I find it endlessly interesting that people don't seem to be overly concerned that boys are getting a boost at some of our better schools! (Ditto legacies.)</p>
<p>On a different note, I think JHS's analysis is on target. But, Bay, I think you're missing one of JHS's major points with "but don't forget that girls probably seek blue-collar occupations as frequently as boys". I assume you mean "pink collar" jobs here. Maybe/maybe not...But those jobs don't pay nearly as well as the blue collar jobs that males traditionally go after (e.g.,building trades).</p>
<p>
[quote]
As a woman's studies teacher one statistic that shocked women to hear was that the earning ability of a female college graduate equalled that of a male high school drop-out. This was ten years ago, so things may have changed a bit, but not substantially. I'm pretty sure that the garbage men on my block earn more than I do with my PhD.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>"Myth" mom, quite the appropriate moniker I'd say, lol! I'd be interested in seeing that link. Last I checked the avg dropout made about $22-25,000 dollars annually. No way the avg female college grad makes that little. As for those garbagemen, having a Ph.D in a social discipline such as Womens' Studies, Gender Issues and the like, it shouldn't be a surprise as those types of fields don't command high salaries. Unless you are fortunate enough to find a unique niche' within those diciplines.</p>
<p>As of three years ago, there were about 1.4 million people on active duty in the U.S. armed forces, of whom about 200,000 were women. There were 1 million more men on active duty than women.</p>
<p>In other words, the military alone probably accounts for half (or close to it) of the difference in college enrollment between men and women.</p>
<p>"I find it endlessly interesting that people don't seem to be overly concerned that boys are getting a boost at some of our better schools! (Ditto legacies.)"</p>
<p>I think you'll find that people aren't overly concerned when they are the beneficiaries of the boosts. When they aren't, it's a problem <em>for some</em>. Boys get the boost at LACs because, I guess, they're underrepresented. Girls get the boost at engineering schools because they're underrepresented. URMs get the boost at private colleges because they're underrepresented. It's usually the people that don't get the boosts that have a problem when other people do.</p>