This post is the last of a three-part series dealing with some of the biggest problems I have seen throughout my experience in public education. I am obviously generalizing and would never try to have you believe that these problems are inherent in all teachers or schools, but I do believe that the issues are deeply rooted and widespread. If you have any personal insight on, or arguments against these issues, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
The War on Boys
This particular topic is bound to cause extreme reactions one way or he other, but I think it’s important to look at some of the ways education has worked to stifle boys by punishing behaviors typically associated with male nature. Unlike the other issues I mentioned in my two previous posts, this is definitely not something that the vast majority of teachers do intentionally, but it is done on a frequent basis nonetheless.
I believe that males and females are vastly different. Some highly-educated professors would tell you that the only differences between boys and girls are physical, and that apparent divisions are the result of upbringing, not nature. As my favorite radio personality Dennis Prager says, “You have to have a graduate degree to believe such nonsense”. If one starts from the premise that boys and girls are essentially the same, then treating them the exact same way seems reasonable. Unfortunately, public education has bought into the nature vs. nurture lie and teachers have become experts at treating each student “the same” — and boys typically pay the price.
Here’s an example: When a boy gets frustrated with another boy on the playground, his natural inclination is to do something physically to express his annoyance — usually by throwing a few punches. In just about every public school in the nation, fighting will result in an automatic suspension. On the other hand, when a girl gets frustrated with another girl on the playground, she’s not naturally inclined to react physically. Instead, she will use her words to inflict harm. Rather than slugging the other student, girls might react by making fun of her hair or clothes, or saying something catty about her personality or looks. Generally, this behavior will only result in a “you girls be nice” from the teacher and little else.
I’m not saying that we should be more lenient on fighting, but I think we should be consistent in enforcing proper behavior from both boys and girls. I have seen example after example of boys getting into small fights and then playing well together later that day. For them, fighting is a quick-resolution activity. When girls fight verbally, however, there is usually no quick resolution because the pain is inflicted day after day, and little is done by teachers to make it stop. You see, we routinely train boys to control their natures, but tend to look the other way when it comes to the female nature — and even if we don’t look the other way, the consequences for girls are certainly disproportionate to the consequences we dish out to boys. When was the last time you heard about a girl getting suspended for calling another girl fat?
Another example of where I think public schools target boys is the ADHD movement. Modern education has developed a very unhealthy love affair with the various pharmaceutical drugs used for treating ADHD. A 2003 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 2.5 million kids ages 4-17 years were taking medication for ADHD, with boys being treated at almost twice the rate of girls. Why the disproportion? I believe that society has found a round-about way to stifle male nature through medication, and it has become more acceptable because it’s cloaked in medical terminology.
Instead of working with a boy’s tendency toward more active behaviors, we give them drugs until they act like girls (who are naturally compliant, cooperative, still). Now, I like a quiet student as much as the next teacher, but if we decide to give a boy pills that chemically change his behavior rather than taking the time to teach him self-control and respect, we are doing that boy a tremendous disservice. I have had students that are so over-medicated that you would think they are strung out on cocaine. It saddens me to see a boy with glazed over eyes who doesn’t have an appetite at lunch or the energy to play on the playground because it has been sapped by Ritalin. For my own part, I’d much rather have a boy who is over-active, than a kid who is has had his personality altered by drugs.
I think the issue of trying to eliminate male nature is a society-wide pandemic and not just an issue in schools. Unfortunately, the public schools are where teachers unwittingly begin this process and where the downward spiral starts. Teachers need to be aware that boys and girls are very different and we need to be sure we don’t always treat boys and girls the same. Let’s meet kids at their level.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree with me that schools target males in an unfair way, or do you think I’m off-base?
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