If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
"Feminised" lessons, system failing the boys
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
According to the Daily Mail website: "A generation of boys is leaving school unable to cope in the modern world because lessons have become 'feminised', according to a renowned academic. They are falling behind in exams and the job market because teachers fail to nurture traditional male traits such as competitiveness and leadership. Dr Tony Sewell said schools instead celebrate qualities more closely associated with girls such as methodical working and attentiveness in class. He warned that boys are becoming disaffected and flunk exams and job interviews because their competitive instincts have been discouraged." >> Details >>
Here's an interesting one. I can definitely see some truth in the article. We know that girls do better under the current education system than boys - just look at exam results, for crying out loud. Also, Dr Sewell seems to have his eye on the ball when he points out some boys become so alienated, they turn to violence. Look at our increasingly violent streets. What about the worrying revelations recently that record numbers of kids carry knives to school? It's worth pointing out, though, that women are getting caught up more and more in violent incidents now.
Do we live in an increasingly feminised world? The answer isn't clear-cut, though we can see the idea of "competition" is derided and mocked in our schools. My local primary has got rid of several competitions in sports days, because "we don't want to hurt the losers feelings". Pish. Everybody loses in life occasionally, kids might as well learn that when younger. That way, people don't get a huge shock when they enter the world of work. I should know, I've been there.
It doesn't help we have an exam system where the overriding creed is "everyone must have prizes". Soon, nobody will be able to fail A-Levels and GCSEs, thanks to stupidly high pass rates. I mean, what's the point of an exam if the pass rate is 100%? It reduces the exam to nothing more than a sham! There's no doubt people are going to try and shout me down here, but the truth is, this sort of woolly liberal thinking does nothing but damage to young minds and leaves them totally unprepared for the world.
He suggets some solutions. Getting rid of coursework, for instance. Personally, I think there's too much emphasis on coursework on some courses. At GCSE level, on Information Technology, it was worth 70% of my final mark! Far too high a percentage, if you ask me. Greater emphases on outdoor adventures and sports? When schools are too terrified to let kids go on trips for fear of being sued, and when the Government is busily selling off playing fields to big companies, there's no chance it'll happen. I admire Dr Sewell for speaking out. Doubtless he will now be attacked by a New Labour establishment, desperate to hide the fact their pledge of "education, education, education" has been a sham.
Over to TheSite masses...
Here's an interesting one. I can definitely see some truth in the article. We know that girls do better under the current education system than boys - just look at exam results, for crying out loud. Also, Dr Sewell seems to have his eye on the ball when he points out some boys become so alienated, they turn to violence. Look at our increasingly violent streets. What about the worrying revelations recently that record numbers of kids carry knives to school? It's worth pointing out, though, that women are getting caught up more and more in violent incidents now.
Do we live in an increasingly feminised world? The answer isn't clear-cut, though we can see the idea of "competition" is derided and mocked in our schools. My local primary has got rid of several competitions in sports days, because "we don't want to hurt the losers feelings". Pish. Everybody loses in life occasionally, kids might as well learn that when younger. That way, people don't get a huge shock when they enter the world of work. I should know, I've been there.
It doesn't help we have an exam system where the overriding creed is "everyone must have prizes". Soon, nobody will be able to fail A-Levels and GCSEs, thanks to stupidly high pass rates. I mean, what's the point of an exam if the pass rate is 100%? It reduces the exam to nothing more than a sham! There's no doubt people are going to try and shout me down here, but the truth is, this sort of woolly liberal thinking does nothing but damage to young minds and leaves them totally unprepared for the world.
He suggets some solutions. Getting rid of coursework, for instance. Personally, I think there's too much emphasis on coursework on some courses. At GCSE level, on Information Technology, it was worth 70% of my final mark! Far too high a percentage, if you ask me. Greater emphases on outdoor adventures and sports? When schools are too terrified to let kids go on trips for fear of being sued, and when the Government is busily selling off playing fields to big companies, there's no chance it'll happen. I admire Dr Sewell for speaking out. Doubtless he will now be attacked by a New Labour establishment, desperate to hide the fact their pledge of "education, education, education" has been a sham.
Over to TheSite masses...
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
0
Comments
Apparently there is research that says children actually do better in gender specific schools. i dont know if this is BECAUSE theyre separated, or because gender specific schools are usually private and full of already advantaged kids.
In years 8, 10 & 11 at my school, the top sets for science/english were set by gender (probably haven't worded it properly) and in some ways, it was easier to work and in some ways it wasn't.
Exams and what girls do well in. Boy don't - our male mind don't work like that. Now see, if we had a practical task, or just sat and talked to a person - say, an examiner for a while about the subject, with certain questions, and got to explain our answesr - we'd probably get on better.
Exams eat cock.
You mean you'd rather have an oral exam instead of a written one?
The only problem with coursework is the potential for cheating. The solution to this would be to do what they do at university, and allow students, with help from the teachers, choose their own completely original subjects for coursework, but I doubt this would be practical with the numbers of students to teachers.
What changes have been made since boys' attainment started to decline? It was shown that the 11+ marked boys higher than girls, expectations of girls' achievement has changed over the years.
It is true that secondary education lacks practical activities in many subjects which is a detriment to kinaesthetic learners. I think learning styles should be taken into account rather than just considering gender.
Not so much an exam, like... some looser. You know, sit down and show your knowledge of the subject matters. Exam question are too tight and stirct in what they do. They limit you if you know what I mean... there are just a set of tick boxes and key phrases you got to learn to pass an exam, no knowledge is required. Use hte key words... as my Biologoy teacher said: If you don't know the answer, chuck in either Photosyntehis or Surface Area. It'll get you marks.
There is evidence that girls do better in girls school but boys tend to do better in mixed schools, all other things being equal.
'coursework' shouldnt just be something you write though which is what happens a lot at school which is easy to copy
at university, my coursework involved mini homework problem sheets, with pieces of extended writing and an oral grilling by the course organiser later with maybe a poster talk also - now that's coursework
all boys school is top of league tables, not that i trust leage tables 1 bit really - removal of league tables and formal national exams up to 14 would help this country most
plenty of teachers i'd reckon are teaching from the cramming guides
oops...
We had that in Year 10 science for our modules. In one way (for me anyway) it's easier to tick boxes than write out what I think, because I can't explain what I mean and end up talking rubbish. (I did this yesterday I think)
Basically from the age of 14 now you are working towards passing exams, not learning, not enjoying knowledge, not enjoying a subject - just learning how to sit for an hour and pass an exam. No wonder kids are getting turned off.
We need a system more like the American model where you pass or fail at the end of each year, the tests at the end are only part of your mark and the rest is based on your performance over the year.
I agree, don't forget kids as young as 6 and 7 are being conditioned to be good at taking exams, its false knowledge in a way because its training them for a skill that they probably wont need as an adult. There should be more emphasis placed on the assessments made by teachers throughout the whole year not just on exam day.
I don't see how the education system favours girls, the same with the world of work. When people get more freedom they do with it what they want to be fair, girls are no longer so much socialised in to being a housewife or maid and studying home economics and more in to one day being a part of a work force. Society has changed, job roles have changed, it isn't about being sexist... You have male secrataries and nurses now, Thatcher closed down a lot of Britain's "masculine" industry.
Besides, I'm sorry but in my school so many of the boys dicked about in class. It is as much about an anti-school subculture as it is the education system itself. What about afro-carrebean youths, does the education system favour white people, is it failing certain minority groups or is this down to cultural problems?
I do believe today's youth is alienated, but not because of some "feminised" vibe that's sliding in.
No doubt social factors do influence gender roles but to say "fuck biological differences" is a stupid thing to do because they have an effect aswell.
Men can be just as good single parents as women, women can be just as good leaders as men. It's about self-belief.
But as for this report... It seems like another whiny "women have too much rights and attention" report.
But - As for roles n stuff - Social Conditioning. Its what you are told and bought up with to beleive.
young, poor white males are in the same catagory as young black males
anyway theres one simple solution to this countries examination problems, less or none formalised exams and coursework up to the age of 14 to actually make it interesting and arouse kids curiousity about subjects, and better laid out KS4 courses
id go as far to suggest that 14-16s take less GCSEs thn they do now, just in the main subjects, and then maybe 2-3 others, but still doing the other subjects at GCSE standard, just without all the cw and exams and just receiving a teachers report on their abilities at the end of it, in case they want to progress later on in life
There are biological differences between whites and blacks and indeed between every other race.
It's all preconceptions and bollocks.
i find it difficult to concentrate on so many different subjects which is why i don't think i'm going to do aswell as i could
but tbh, even if the system was changed there would still be loads of boys slacking off. It seems that on the whole, girls work harder. I'm not saying that boys don't, but it seems more of a social thing in boys to do crap.
But the reason they changed the system in the first place was because too many pupils were finding it hard to pass when they just sat an exam.
Which is entirely a good thing, it (hoepfully) instills a good general knowledge base.
if you read what i wrote, less would be formally examined for a student, only the core ones and maybe 2/3 of students choice, the rest of classes they would do still but they will just recieve a semi-detailed teachers report, mainly just so future reference recievers can find out what their attitude was like