Learning

[flexibeast]

Why Johnny Can't Read: Schools Favor Girls

Blah blah blah. There's one thing that all these people who complain about boys falling behind in our education systems never seem to mention: male culture.

When i was at school, learning seemed to be basically regarded as being incompatible with masculinity - not by teachers, but by students. Only real wusses were more interested in staying indoors and reading than in going outside and playing footy and roughing each other up. Put simply, young males who are interested in reading and learning are often ostracised by their male peers. (And i wonder how many young males who are interested in reading and learning are ostracised by their fathers for being so.) Of course, this isn't necessarily the case throughout the entirety of the educational journey of males - those who get to the level of tertiary education often seem to themselves engage in alpha-male, i-can't-admit-i-don't-know-something, must-be-better-than-all-other-males bullshittery as well.

But natureally, it's not possible that male culture plays a part in the educational problems of young males - it has to be TEH FEMINISM and its REVERSE SEXISM, which means that no-one pays attention to the poor boys anymore! :-P

*sigh* . . . .
 

Comments

[foibey.livejournal.com]

I think the fathers of the world have a lot to answer for. Bearing in mind this sort of educational behaviour appears really early, I think there's a good case for it having a lot to do with paternal laddishness rubbing off.

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

Not to mention this type of 'parenting' (http://www.sternfannetwork.com/forum/showthread/t-67249.html). :-|

[foibey.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

Although, eek, racism in that post...

[cheshire-bitten.livejournal.com]

A complex problem like this will rarely have one source, the school system failed me, I couldn't read when I was in grade 5 and I was an emotional and psychological mess by the time I left primary school. I was never able to study at the level I was at because the school system still has this idea that everyone who is 12 should have one level of understanding across all there subject area's and had no way to handle someone who was very good (technically gifted) in some areas and very bad in others, in grade 2 it was noticed that I couldn't read and I was sent to “reading recovery” a great program for early intervention for kids who are falling behind in the literacy skills, as I was, the teacher who took reading recovery sent me back with a note that I was very smart and didn’t need reading recovery to help me.
I wonder if anyone missed the point that badly in the history of the world. I was smart, and I couldn’t read, “see spot run” in grade 5 I couldn’t read “see spot run”.
I have not problem imagining that some boys are failed by the school system, although I would guess it would be female teachers preference for girls rather that feminist views that would do it.
I have wondered about this for a while as while I struggled through school I encouraged by my parents and ended up doing quite well, on the other hand my brother who was not dyslexic, who was also raised by my highly academic parents who encouraged both of us to study hard, and who are in the socio-economic class that assumes that its children will go to university and will probably do more than undergraduate level, and shows no interest in school, doesn’t know what subjects he will do in VCE or what he will do at university.
As far as I can see my only guesses as to the difference is either than he is just not interested or, and this is the one I suspect is true is that my brother cares a lot more about fitting in than I do, he saw me bullied for being smart. He saw me not making friends because of my reputation and he decided that he would be cool, and that meant not studying. If I am correct I feel that what he did was very understandable, I would probably be a saner person now if I had shut up and dumbed down, I think it has more to do with the Australian culture than it does with male culture.
I think it is worthwhile to look at how children learn, and whether our school system is keeping up with that, I know from the bit of educational psychology that I did that you shouldn’t run classes for anyone longer than about 40 min, because by that time most of them have stopped listening but almost every school in Australia runs classes for a hour or an hour and a half. I think looking at whether we serve different kind of learners well (visual spatial/ linguist ect.) rather than looking at wether we are teaching boys well rather than girls well.

[cheshire-bitten.livejournal.com]

abusive shitty perents come in all colours you fuckers.

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

A complex problem like this will rarely have one source

*nod* Indeed. My complaint is with the fact that male culture never seems to be considered as one of the possible sources.

I was an emotional and psychological mess by the time I left primary school.

:-(( *hugs*

had no way to handle someone who was very good (technically gifted) in some areas and very bad in others

*nod* My own experience of the school system was that it wasn't really able to deal with gifted kids - kids with learning difficulties, yes, at least to a certain extent, but gifted kids, no. Since you were gifted in some areas, and had difficulties in others, i imagine you got the worst of both worlds. :-((

the teacher who took reading recovery sent me back with a note that I was very smart and didn’t need reading recovery to help me.

Ack! Very sorry to hear that. :-( Bit of a false assumption on the part of the teacher, to assume that your smarts inevitably indicated that you could read just fine . . . .

I have not problem imagining that some boys are failed by the school system, although I would guess it would be female teachers preference for girls rather that feminist views that would do it.

*nod* Again, it's not that i think that no boy is failed by the school system; i just wish people would consider that at least some boys are failed by male culture.

my brother cares a lot more about fitting in than I do, he saw me bullied for being smart. He saw me not making friends because of my reputation and he decided that he would be cool, and that meant not studying.

Interesting . . . . i myself suspect that my (younger) sister might have gone through something similar as a result of observing me.

I would probably be a saner person now if I had shut up and dumbed down

*nod* Same here. But i place a high premium on being true to myself and my ethics and principles, and it cause me no end of trouble. :-/

I think it has more to do with the Australian culture than it does with male culture.

Well . . . . i would suggest that Australian culture is very male-oriented. Like, when i try to think of things characteristic of Australian culture, i end up thinking of things more often associated with men than with women . . . .

I think it is worthwhile to look at how children learn, and whether our school system is keeping up with that, I know from the bit of educational psychology that I did that you shouldn’t run classes for anyone longer than about 40 min, because by that time most of them have stopped listening but almost every school in Australia runs classes for a hour or an hour and a half. I think looking at whether we serve different kind of learners well (visual spatial/ linguist ect.) rather than looking at wether we are teaching boys well rather than girls well.

Excellent points. The problem, though, is that such a (i believe correct) notion of tailoring education to the needs of individual students (a) doesn't fit in with the mass-production approach to education prevalent amongst our society's administrators; and (b) would require a substantial increase in the level of funding to the education system, which is difficult in a climate where Australian businesses want highly-skilled employees without having to pay for them . . . . :-/

[cheshire-bitten.livejournal.com]

many many very good points, I will generally reply with the fact that I meant in a lot of the things I agree with you, I think that as well as male culture, other factors are important.

I saw nothing in the mainstream school system to make it clear that the school system could deal with learning difficulties at all unless they where very bad, sure they could get helpers for down syndrome kids, but they where totally unprepared to deal with a kid who was a little behind, but not enough behind to justify extra funding.

I was lucky that I went to a community school from year 9, it was much more able to deal with someone like me, I just did each of my classes at my level.

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

they where totally unprepared to deal with a kid who was a little behind, but not enough behind to justify extra funding.

*sad nod*

I was lucky that I went to a community school from year 9, it was much more able to deal with someone like me, I just did each of my classes at my level.

*nod* Cool. :-) May i ask which school that was?

[cheshire-bitten.livejournal.com]

Sure do you have an email address I could send it to, I am a little jumpy about posting it publicly.