If you were an energetic nine-year-old boy who loved school, did your best but
also loved charging about, trying to beat your friends at every game
possible, imagine the hell of our currrent state school system where ball
games are banned from the playground in case someone gets hurt, there is no
outside play in bad weather and you are constantly in trouble for being too
competitive because winning is not what it's about. And, worse, Jamie Oliver
fruit smoothies have replaced sponge pudding in your school dinner, so
you're starving by two o'clock.
Sue Palmer is a former head teacher, literacy adviser and the author of 21st
Century Boys. She says it is a biological necessity that boys run about,
take risks, swing off things and compete with each other to develop
properly. “If they can't, a lot of them find it impossible to sit still,
focus on a book or wield a pencil,” she says, “so their behaviour is
considered ‘difficult', they get into trouble and tumble into a cycle of
school failure.”
Boys are three times as likely as girls to need extra help with reading at
primary school, and 75 per cent of children supposedly suffering from ADHD
(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) are male. “We are losing boys at
a rate of knots, particularly in literacy,” Palmer says, “because at some
point in the past 30 years, masculinity became an embarrassment.”
Research by Simon Baron-Cohen, a respected Cambridge professor, that began as
an investigation into autism, puts a solid case for biological male/female
differences in the brain, with boys tending to be “systematisers” and girls
“empathisers”. This explains why boys generally are less keen on reading and
comprehension, and lag behind girls in literacy. A lot of boys find it
easier to explain the workings of a watch than to discuss how a character in
a story is feeling. “But now,” says Palmer, “apart from the very bright
ones, boys aren't even doing better at maths and science.”
Some people blame this nosedive, first noticed in the mid-Nineties, on the
“feminisation” of education - too many women teachers, girl-friendly
classroom environments and modular exam systems that suit girls' study
skills but disadvantage risk-takers. “Geniuses are much more likely to be
male,” Palmer says, “but if you don't tick the right boxes, you fail.”
There are seven times as many women primary school teachers as men, but
Christine Skelton, Professor of Gender Equality in Education at Birmingham
University, argues that there have always been far more female teachers than
male. “Obviously there are some women who understand active boys, and some
men who don't, just as there are energetic girls and inactive boys,” she
says.
The current generation of teachers, though, were born and raised in an
atmosphere dominated by women's liberation and “non-gender-specific”
education that began in the Seventies. Barbies were banned, most
protagonists in books were female and there was no tolerance of war or
superhero play. As a head teacher, Palmer remembers making her reception
teacher remove all the cloakroom pegs that depicted tractors for boys and
bunnies for girls.
“The belief was that you were shaped by your environment, and it was the
teacher's responsibility to ‘socialise' boys away from their natural
inclinations and to encourage girls to study traditionally male subjects
such as physics and technology,” she says.
Palmer would never deny that some of it was absolutely necessary - but with
movements such as Reclaim the Night, Greenham Common and Gay Pride, groups
that offered an alternative perspective to the traditionally dominant male
view taking centre stage, masculinity became suspect. “I really think,” she
says, “that the almighty cock-up of the sisterhood in the Seventies was that
we believed we could turn boys into girls.”
Palmer says that most women are not natural risk-takers, so for teachers who
have not helped to bring up brothers and who don't have sons, boys'
behaviour can be frightening. “Play-fighting, for example, reaches a peak at
age 7 or 8 but is not actually aggressive,” she says. “It's social - it's
the way boys get to know each other and see how the other one ticks. A lot
of women teachers are horrified when I suggest that they should let boys get
on with fighting and shouting because eventually they'll come out the other
side and start negotiating.”
Another problem for boys seeking adventure is that, because we live in an
increasingly risk-averse society, children are rarely allowed to play
unsupervised. When did you last see a group of boys climbing a tree?
“There is a rational fear of increased traffic but also an irrational fear of
stranger danger, fanned by media reporting of child abduction,” says Palmer.
“Parents are worried about being considered irresponsible, so they never let
their children out of their sight.” And because we are not used to seeing
boys playing outside, when we do it feels hostile even when what is going on
is not particularly boisterous.
Dan Travis, a sports coach, argues that it is very important for boys to muck
about on their own. “Coaching is formal and necessary but should only take
up 20 per cent of the time they play,” he says. “The informal 80 per cent is
where most of the learning and practising occurs - away from adult
supervision.”
Travis is running a campaign to bring competition back to school sport. “The
Sport for All ethos took hold in the Seventies and never let go,” he says.
“Games are only about inclusion, with no winners allowed.” This is
disastrous for boys, who need to compete to establish their place in the
hierarchy, which is how they organise their friendships and something that
they understand from nursery age onwards. It is also bad for sport. Palmer
adds that “self-esteem” arrived from America and now no child is allowed to
“lose” at anything.
Palmer is not suggesting that boys should be allowed to behave in any way they
want. What we need, she says, is to celebrate what makes them boys and help
them to understand the things that don't come naturally to them. That means
getting them outside more, particularly as space gets squeezed in urban
schools. “Not letting boys be boys is not only detrimental to them but also
to girls, many of whom become overcompliant with what is considered ‘good'
behaviour and could do with a shove outdoors to take more risks,” she says.
“I certainly wish that had happened to me.”
Palmer is especially enthusiastic about the few “outdoor nurseries” that we
have in this country, and about the Scandinavian system that puts off formal
learning until the age of 7 or 8, concentrating instead on playing outside
and the development of social skills.
In the ideal Palmer world, everyone would go to a Scandinavian-style school.
What we are doing instead is bringing in the Early Years Foundation Stage, a
new government framework that becomes law in September. It says that by the
age of 5 children should be writing sentences, some of which are punctuated.
“That would be impressive for a seven-year-old,” says Palmer. “So rather
than tackling the imbalance in the way that we have treated boys for too
long, we are going to make them sit still and learn even younger. I'd call
that little short of state-sponsored child abuse.”
21st Century Boys will be published by Orion in early 2009
Spot-on analysis! Isn't odd how most of the ADD & ADHD cases are boys? Rather than let boys be boys and act out their energy harmlessly through sports or other activities, it is easier to fill them up with prescription drugs so the educrats do not have to deal with "male behavior".
jason, USA,
Good article, there should be more people crying out these facts about boys, i have tried and tried to help my older son not be so competitive, but it hasnt worked, its just the way boys were designed, he is now a lot happier when i let him act like a boy and compete the way they should.
A Underwood, Perth, Australia
Simple answer - move to the country! I'm a 16 year old girl and there really are none of these problems out here. Loads of space so we can run and climb where we like, I don't have a mobile yet, my parents always know I am around somewhere and the boys? Well they're just off being boys!
Katy, Suffolk, England
Totally agree, I`m single parent of 4yr old boy who attends German Kindergarten. Here he gets the opportunity to play in water [in the woods]go swimming, climb, run [fantastic outdoor play area]. Generally do what all children should be allowed to do. No sign of the cotton wool culture here..thk god
meme, Leeds, UK
Teaching boys to be like girls? Isn't it acknowledged that the behaviour of young women has become more like that of men? Violent bullying by schoolgirls has increased dramatically, they are now fighting each other with knives, and ladies have copied the lads and turned into ladettes.
Edward, London, UK
Janey, Norwich - Women stay in teaching jobs because it gives them the power to (try to) change the boys' behaviour. It's how feminism operates - anything that doesn't conform to the feminist ideal must be irradicated and little children are seen as the most maleable. The result - problem boys
Bob Finbow, Haverhill, England
I think it is true that the state of masculinity and masculine development in boys is in serious jeopardy. The reason why boys are boys and girls are girls is in their physical and chemical make-up. There are differences between the sexes! When we start blurring lines we start destroying nations
peter, edmond, usa
Simple common sense suggests that many women teachers have sons. And why would these demonised women teachers stay in a job where they strongly dislike (and are supposedly frightened of) the normal behaviour of half their pupils?
Maybe things aren't quite as bad as they are painted here?
Janey, Norwich,
Why teach "boys to be boys" and "girls to be girls"? Some girls are tomboys and some boys are sensitive, others match the stereotypes. But if you gender-stereotype kids too much both sexes will only end up confused and resentful. Let them be themselves, not what someone else says they should be.
Caroline, London,
The strange concept that an active boy means he has ADHD has made for an overdiagnosis of young boys and also the ignoration of the ADD girls, as ADD manifests very differently in them. Remember the daydreamy girl who never seemed to remember to get her homework done and talked too much?
Edith, Michigan,
It's no better in the United States. Elementary schools here seem intent on taking boys and turning them into girls from Day One of first grade. It's no wonder that so many more boys are getting turned off by education than were in the 1970s when I was in school myself.
Jim, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Do boys and girls have more in common or more that differentiates them?
And is it better for them to develop their commonalities or their differences ?
And can we ever answer this?
Maverick, Irene, South Africa
The sisterhood seems to be intent on destroying society by feminising male children. Some of the major consequences of this are the loss of typically male skills such as initiative, creative thinking and problem solving and then replacing these skills with rules and regulations, which does not work.
Bruce, Apt, France
Can I hear the noise of pennies dropping?
Tom Taylor-Duxbury, Ludlow, UK
Excellent article. Mix that with 3 in 5 children now from single parent families, where is the male influence on boys supposed to come from?
Let boys be boys and please, for Gods sake let men be men! Celebrate our differencies to women not smudge the boundaries so we are all 'metrosexual'.
ian, Edinburgh, UK
I agree with Reena! I hated dolls, and only had teddy bears, got into fights with my enemies, nearly lost my (new) two front teeth when playing games in the playground. I think the article has a point which is that children (like young of most animals) enjoy & benefit from being active together.
Victoria, London, UK
I agree to an extent that children in general are brought up "too soft" - but stop the stereotyping: it's the same for girls.Growing up during the 80s/90s I loved climbing trees,shooting at things with bow and arrow,going hiking,playfighting with dad/brothers and got into fights in the playground.
Reena, Birmingham, UK
It is my sporting prowess that both my children have inherited not their fathers, who could not kick a ball to save his life. The problem is generalisation of education and making square pegs fit in round holes regardless of gender. And give me a real man over a sensitive man anytime!
Catriona S-Urquhart, Edinburgh, Midlothian
This is absolutely true! And it would probably explain why there is so much violence among young men - they're not allowed to be boys when they're small (run around, play with swords, play pirates etc) & now that's backfiring...very worrying!
Ellie, cambridge,
You need to remember that some girls enjoy the rough and tumble lifestyle as well, but this is even harder for schools to accommodate.
Home education ticks so many boxes for social development and can adopt any educational philosophy the parents want that it's no wonder it's growing at a huge pace.
Alex Ball, London,
Society is making us soft. What ever happened to Brit grit? Instead, we're forcing children to grow up far too fast, educationally and socially, and then wondering why we have problems with underage binge-drinkers and teen pregnancy. I refuse to bring up my children in this kind of culture.
AED, Aberdeen, UK
if we stopped giving so many drugs to mothers during childbirth which pass directly into the baby then we would see a reduction in ADHD a disorder from the last 20 years and oh, when did we start epidurals and pitocin? It's not as if women don't know how to give birth.
Kat, hull, uk
I'm glad when I was being brought up in the sixties that we were able to run, fight, climb and do all the other things that boys do to burn off their energy. Having accidents, hurting yourself and making bad decisions as a child enables you to assess risk far better as an adult.
Steve, Warwick,
I believe that computer games have replaced “mucking about” for boys in some respects and this is part of their popularity as boys find outlets for their masculine tendencies – of course now many people want to ban particular games too
matty, frankfurt, germany
Fantastic comments from Sue Palmer and Baron-Cohen, but they do not go far enough. We need proper child development screening in the UK to check that children are developing proper gross and fine motor skills; good cognitive visual links;and are really ready to learn at the start of formal schooling
Charlotte Davies, Croydon, Surrey
The Who were right all those years ago, with I'm a Boy:
"...Ride my bike across the street
Cut myself and see my blood
I wanna come home all covered in mud
I'm a boy, I'm a boy
But my ma won't admit it
I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm a boy..."
Frank Upton, Solihull,
Why on earth do you think single sex schools were introduced?
Michael, London, UK
Excellent article. The mother of three boys, a retired lecturer, I have always thought boys could not be raised like girls just because they were different (I was born into a family of six girls). My first son was born in 1974 and it took me hardly two years to realize boys will be boys or suffer.
Marie, Le Havre, France
I have to say I am inclined to agree. When my son was young I always stopped rough and tumble play because I did not want my son to grow up fighting. It worked. However, at the age of 15 he took up Judo and three years later had a brown belt - so the last laugh was on me.
Denise B, Oldbury, UK
That's so true! After this kind of up-bringing for boys we have men who cannot be relied on. And women have to be in charge of everything: house, bread-winning, career, healthy living, oh, nearly forgot childbirth. Let boys be boys, and hopefully MEN in future.
Olga, Ufa,
When did we ever get the stupid notion that the government had any notion of how to teach children, run schools, set a curriculum, or had our best interests at heart? Standardized education is self-evidently a tool of social control, not personal liberation. We have been had.
Cal, Nottingham,
I also think we should teach girls to be girls. A women is now an author. A hero,and actor,and so the list goes on. Why are women ashamed to be feminine. I would have thought the word feminist would mean all things feminine, and yet they want male titles. Am I missing something here?
g parker, auckland , new Zealand
There have always been more primary school teachers than male. - just not in charge.
While I fully accept the position that it's better to raise girls to fund twenty percent of their keep rather than none of it, we still have to recognise that boys still have to make 180% of theirs.
Charles, London,
Firstly, I suspect that huge numbers of female primary teachers are themselves not good at maths and 'systems'.
Secondly, bring back more single sex secondary schools. When I transferred to one at 11, the difference from female dominated primary school was phenomenal and much needed by all of us.
MarkS, Leeds,
This is an excellent article and as a teacher, I have been saying all this for many years.
Phred, Chesterfield, UK
Let's not forget that many of the changes that were made were very necessary to level the field for girls, who in the past were expected to be pretty and good but not to achieve much academically. Maybe we've gone a tiny bit too far the other way, but let's not go back to the dark ages!
Wendy Maples, Choteau, USA
Great Article!
jack, london, uk
The pussification of British society continues. Being politically correct is more important than respecting science or having even a dollop of common sense.
Here in the States it's almost as bad, but at least we can still defend ourselves against attackers and can even use real weapons to do so.
J. T. Lancer, Seattle, Washington ,
It's the same here in Aiustralia!! I gave my nephew the Australian edition of The Dangerous Book for Boys for Christmas and his mother was horrified just at the prospect of the title!
Stephen Baddeley, Sydney, Australia
Right now the closest thing we have to this in the states is a few different kinds of homeschooling methods, which we are trying to push to make illegal. I guess the "proffesional teachers" don't like that the "amateur teachers" have a better track record, and strategy.
Justin, Dallas, USA
Understanding the increasing female success in academia isn't rocket science (which they don't do) but an unavoidable consequence of the proliferation of soft subjects intended for that very purpose. My physics Phd gives a low status secondary school post. 'Girls' degrees produce academic sinecures.
Eric Skelton, Cardiff, Wales
My son's all-boys school has physical education classes and outdoor recess every day. He loves school. It is important to celebrate differences between the sexes but avoid stereotyping. Some girls are fidgety and like to take risks. Some boys are quiet and bookish. We all need time outside.
JK Roberts, Memphis,