World: boys suffer from co-education

Co-ed schooling is damaging boys' chances by feminising education.

Co-education became increasingly popular in the 1970s and now in the West most respected schools have adopted it. Male teachers have become increasingly rare at pre-school and primary level. The Telegraph reported in February 2011 that in the UK "statistics from the Department for Education show that 53 per cent of boys have not reached a "good level of development" by five, compared to 35 per cent of girls."

By secondary school, boys have become used to being taught by women in co-ed classes. This has had a number of effects, notably that boys have received a form of education which been feminised in order to make it acceptable to girls.

Boys need more robust teaching. They test boundaries in a very different way to girls. They enter puberty later than girls do. And they often learn in a different way and at a different pace. They mature later, and so perform academically less well until they are post-pubescant. 

They can experience rapid growth spurts, putting on height so fast that they become exhausted. Other than this, boys need sport to release energy and expunge themselves of aggression. They fight physically more often than girls, or did until the rise in ladette behavour, and need to test their physical strength as they develop muscles.

Boys behave badly sometimes. Of course, so do girls, but boys should be brought into line in a different, more manly way. They respond better, perhaps, to more potent policing. They cry rarely and never giggle. Girls do. They don't aspire to the same things, most of the time. And they don't talk of the same subjects. 

Boys are far more interested in sex, sport, danger, and heroism. They emulate and mimic different sorts of role model. Girls have role models but they usually aren't the same ones. It's not for nothing that Justin Bieber is mainly pursued by an army of female fans. Boys seek out different musical heroes entirely.

So they need a different sort of education. They must learn how to mix with, respect and appreciate female company. But they mustn't be thwarted by a female agenda. It's not so surprising, therefore, to learn from The Telegraph this month that in the UK "a rising number of parents are sending their sons to boys' only prep schools in the hope of giving them a competitive and sporty upbringing, according to new figures." 

An interesting further statistic from the IAPS report quoted by The Telegraph is that more girls are opting out of single-sex schooling. One could deduce from this that co-ed education suited surveyed girls more than boys, perhaps?

The State education system in Britain should take note. And other countries might enter into a similar debate about whether they want their underperforming boys to achieve more.

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